Delhi's Winter Peak Power Demand May Cross 5,700-MW Mark, Break Records

Delhi’s winter peak power demand this year may break all previous records, crossing the 5,700-MW mark, officials of power distribution companies said on Wednesday. A BSES official said up to 60 per cent of the maximum winter power demand of over 3,600 MW in its areas will be met by green power. It will also bank on surplus power with other states to meet the increased demand, he said.

According to discom officials, the peak power demand of the city this winter can surpass previous peak winter demands. Last year, it had peaked at 5,526 MW, which was the winter record in the national capital, they said. Last winter, the peak winter power demand in BSES’s BRPL and BYPL areas reached 2,338 MW and 1,181 MW, respectively. This year, it may go beyond 2,400 MW and 1,200 MW for BRPL and BYPL respectively, a BSES official said.

”Ensuring reliable supply in any season is as much the function of proper power arrangements as also accurate demand forecast and robust distribution network. On all these aspects, BSES discoms are fully geared to ensure adequate power availability for its nearly 50 lakh consumers or around two crore residents during the winter months,” he said. Apart from long-term agreements with power plants, over 2,000 MW of green power will play a significant role in ensuring reliable power supply to BSES consumers during the winter months, the official said.

This clean energy includes 840 MW of solar power, 540 MW of hydropower, 500 MW of wind power, around 40 MW from waste-to-energy conversion and over 150 MW of roof-top solar power facilities installed in south, west, east and central Delhi, he said. In fact, up to 60 per cent of the maximum winter power demand of more than 3,600 MW in BSES areas will be met with green power, the official added.