Delhi heads for power cuts, peak demand at new high

Express News Service Posted: Thu May 19 2011,
New Delhi:

The power demand in Delhi shot up to a record high on Wednesday settling at 4,823 MW. This comes a day after season’s highest maximum temperature was registered at 44.1 degrees Celsius.

Other than the record power demand that came at 4.10 pm today, Delhi had at least 800 MW less power due to technical snags in three major power supply plants. Grid frequency was extremely low — 49.17 — in the afternoon. Discoms have predicted that the power demand this year could go as high at 5,100 MW.

Sources said the Northern Region Load Despatch Centre and the State Load Despatch Centre have put restrictions on withdrawal to maintain grid security and have instructed discoms to “shed load”.

“As directed, Delhi discoms are undertaking load-shedding on a rotational basis,” a BSES official said. Discoms said the power demand has increased by 23 per cent in the first fortnight of May, starting from 3,863 MW.

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“Delhi received around 460 MW less power, primarily on account of snags at NTPC Dadri 1 (210 MW) and NTPC Jhajjar (250 MW). Unit 2 of Dadri was also out for a few hours this morning, further reducing power supply to Delhi by another 200 MW. This is, however, back in operation. The Damodar Valley Corporation, which is supposed to supply 150 MW power to Delhi during peak hours and 100 MW round the clock, is also supplying 70 MW less during the day,” an official of Delhi Transco said.

The highest-ever power demand was recorded at 4,720 MW on July 1 last year.

Meanwhile, the temperature dropped to 42.3 degrees Celsius today. It was, however, still three degrees above normal. The night temperature was recorded at 30.7 degrees Celsius, six degrees above normal.

Humidity level, according to the Met department, was 68 per cent.