NEW DELHI: Discom officials reported that Delhi’s peak power demand surged to an unprecedented 7,717 MW on Tuesday afternoon, fueled by intense summer heat.
According to real-time data from the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC), this figure shattered all previous records for the city. The peak demand occurred at 3:33 pm, officials confirmed. Delhi’s previous all-time high peak power demand was recorded at 7,695 MW on June 29, 2022, officials said.
The national capital is reeling under intense heat with a steady temperature rise. The IMD has issued a red alert for the next four days. As per the seven-day forecast, temperatures are anticipated to soar between 44 to 47 degrees Celsius. On Tuesday, the minimum temperature settled at 30.7 degrees Celsius, marking a notable deviation from the norm, as reported by the IMD. Meanwhile, the day’s peak temperature is predicted to hover around 45 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, discom officials foresee the city’s peak power demand surpassing 8,000 MW this summer, potentially peaking at around 8,200 MW. On Monday, Delhi reached its highest-ever May peak power demand at 7,572 MW, surpassing the previous record of 7,438 MW in 2023, according to discom officials.
A spokesperson of BSES discoms BRPL and BYPL said the peak demand was met successfully in their respective distribution areas. On their part, BRPL and BYPL successfully met the peak power demand of 3,404 MW and 1728 MW in their respective areas.
He stated that BSES has taken proactive measures to address the surging power demand by implementing power purchase agreements and enhancing network infrastructure through significant investments. The rise in power demand is linked to high usage of air conditioning and cooling devices during the heat.