Delhi's winter power demand to rise to new record high of 6,000 MW

Delhi's power demand is set to touch a new record high of 6,000 megawatt (MW) this winter season, compared to the 5,655 MW peak power demand registered in the winter season last year, according to fresh data sourced from the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC).

 

Within the areas of power discom BSES, winter peaks last year reached 2,431 MW in BRPL and 1,105 MW in BYPL. This year, they are projected to rise further to around 2,570 MW for BRPL and around 1,350 MW for BYPL. In order to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the winter period, BSES discoms are understood to have made arrangements including long-term tie-ups and green power sourcing to banking, storage, and AI-based forecasting.

 

"Of the total 3,900 MW of projected winter demand across the BRPL and BYPL areas, up to over 50 per cent will be met through renewable and clean energy sources including solar, wind, hydro, waste-to-energy, hybrid, and rooftop solar," said a senior BSES official.

 

He also said BSES will bank surplus power generated during the winter months with partner states including Goa, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Manipur. The surplus power will be returned to Delhi during the high-demand summer period. Under this arrangement, BRPL has tied up 48 MW, while BYPL will bank up to 270 MW of surplus power.

 

This power banking mechanism can help optimise generation resources, manage seasonal demand fluctuations, and ensure cost efficiency, he said.

 

BSES manages low-demand periods, especially during late-night hours, by coordinating planned maintenance of thermal plants during off-peak hours to optimise efficiency, utilising surplus power for pumped storage and charging Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), to be discharged during peak periods, and banking excess capacity with partner states.