Delhi's power demand hits record high of 8,300 MW amid intense heatwave

New Delhi experienced its highest-ever power demand, reaching 8,302 MW on Wednesday afternoon as temperatures soared to a record 52.3 degrees Celsius at the Mungeshpur weather station. This marks the first time in the city’s history that power demand has exceeded 8,300 MW.

Record-breaking heat and power demand

The city's previous peak power demand was 8,000 MW, recorded just a week ago on May 22. This unprecedented demand comes as Delhi faces a prolonged heatwave, with temperatures in areas like Najafgarh, Mungeshpur, and Narela nearing 50 degrees Celsius. Typically, Delhi's power demand peaks in late June or early July, but last year it peaked in August.

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Efforts to meet the demand

Power distribution companies had estimated a peak of 8,200 MW this summer. Despite the higher-than-expected demand, officials from the State Load Dispatch Centre in Delhi confirmed that the power grid managed the load successfully. A spokesperson from BSES said that around 2,100 MW of green power is being utilized to help meet the rising demand. They also invested in strengthening the network and conducted extensive preventive checks to avoid any issues.

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A Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited spokesperson noted that the ongoing heatwave across North India has sharply increased electricity demand. TPDDL successfully met its highest-ever peak power demand of 2,339 MW and has made sufficient arrangements to continue meeting the city’s needs.

Overall, Delhi's power distribution network has proven its robustness, maintaining stability despite the extraordinary demand and extreme weather conditions.