Power distribution companies officials have attributed this demand for power in the capital to the devastating second wave of COVID-19 and adverse weather conditions for a prolonged period of time
Official statistics on power demand in the national capital has revealed that Delhi's peak power demand surged to 7,323 MW in 2021. This was only a shade lower than the all-time high of 7,409 MW in 2019 but considerably higher than the corresponding demand of 6,341 MW in 2020.
On a day-to-day basis, Delhi saw a rise in power demand on 227 days of 2021 compared to similar days of 2020, implying that on 61 per cent days of 2021, Delhi needed higher power than what was needed in 2020.
The national capital did not experience only cold waves at the beginning and end of the year but also witnessed an intense monsoon that persisted till late October. The city recorded 1,512.4 mm of rainfall till December 29, the second-highest ever.
"It was a year of extreme weather events and records being broken in the capital each month this year. This, along with the Covid related restrictions and their easing had an impact on the city's power demand," Discom officials said.
In 2021, Delhi's peak power demand was higher on 227 days compared to 2020, officials said, adding this implied, in percentage terms, Delhi's peak power demand in 2021 was higher on 61 per cent of days, compared to the corresponding days of 2020.
A month-wise analysis shows that Delhi's peak power demand in December 2021 was higher on 58 per cent or 18 corresponding days vis-a-vis those of December 2020. For November 2021, it was higher on 50 per cent days, 58 per cent days in October, 20 per cent in September, 68 per cent in August, 68 per cent in July, 77 per cent June, 65 per cent in May, 93 per cent in April, 77 per cent in March, 36 per cent in February and 74 per cent days in January, they said.
Delhi's peak power demand during 2021 was 7,323 MW, 6,431 MW in 2020 and an all-time high of 7,409 MW in 2019. The highest peak power demand recorded in December 2021 was 4,685 MW which was higher than the 4,671 MW recorded on December 30, 2020. The peak demand in December crossed 4,000 MW on 16 occasions during the month, discom officials added.
Ensuring reliable supply in any season is as much the function of proper power arrangements as also the forecast of accurate demand and a robust distribution network, they said.
The back-bone of BSES' power-supply arrangements during the winter months includes long-term agreements from power plants, including Hydro and Delhi-based gas-fuelled generating stations, said a BSES spokesperson.
Additionally, BSES is also receiving over 440 MW of solar power from SECI, 250 MW of wind power, nearly 25 MW from Waste-to-Energy generation. It is also being helped by over 118 MW of roof-top solar power panels installed in South, West, East and Central Delhi, he added
(With PTI Inputs)