Power demand touches record 6651 MW in city

NEW DELHI: The power demand in the capital on Friday soared to a record 6,651 MW with scorching heat sweeping across the city. The peak power demand broke all previous records at 3.36 pm touching 6,651 MW. Last year, the highest peak power demand was recorded at 6,526 MW on June 6, 2017, said a spokesperson of power discom BSES. The Power department and distribution companies of the Delhi government have expected the peak demand to breach 7,000 MW mark in June this year.

Power Minister Satyendar Jain had earlier predicted 7,000 MW power demand saying enough electricity was available to meet the rising demand. In 2018, the peak power demand crossed the 6,000 MW mark eight times, the BSES spokesperson said. The power demand had crossed the 6,000 MW only twice (6,021 MW on May 16 and 6,001 on May 26, in 2017. In 2016 too, the peak power demand had crossed the 6,000 MW twice (6,044 on May 19 and 6,188 on May 20).

The peak power demand in BSES discom BRPL areas - South and West Delhi- had reached 2,745 MW during the summers of 2017 and is expected to cross 2,880 MW this year. In BYPL' areas of East and Central Delhi, the peak power demand which had reached 1,469 MW last year is expected to touch around 1,670 MW, he added.

The Tata Power DDL, which supplies to north and northwest Delhi, expects peak demand to touch 1,850 MW saying it has prior arrangements of meeting upto 2,200 MW power demand.