PowerWatch |Peak power demand drops due to sporadic rains

PowerWatch

Sporadic rains in several parts of the country led India's peak power demand to drop from  221.34 gigawatts (GW) on May 23 to 210.9 GW on May 24.

The peak demand deficit, which refers to the shortfall in meeting the demand, stood at 90 megawatts (MW) on May 24 against 211 MW on May 23.

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The demand on May 23 exceeded the previous high of 221.07 GW, which was met on May 17 when large parts of the country were experiencing heatwave conditions. The deficit on May 17 was 1,777 MW. On May 22, the demand that was met amounted to 220.9 GW. The peak demand deficit stood at 766 megawatts (MW) on that day.

The share of renewable energy sources (wind, solar and hybrid) in the total energy generation on May 24 was 14.31 percent. The share of renewable energy along with hydropower, nuclear and others was 25.56 percent, according to data.

The share of coal-fired power plants in meeting the demand was 71 percent.

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Due to the heatwave conditions in several parts of the country, it is anticipated that the peak power demand met may surpass the current high in the coming days. However, it may not happen in the current week as sporadic rains have lashed some parts of north India, bringing down the temperature. The weatherman has predicted similar weather conditions for the next two-three days.

In 2022, the highest peak demand met was 212 GW on June 10.

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The Power Ministry expects the peak demand to reach 230 GW this summer, with Power Minister RK Singh stating that the country is prepared to meet this demand.

As of now, the country's coal stock situation remains manageable. According to data, out of the 165 domestic coal-based thermal power plants in the country, 30 had critical coal stocks as of May 23. Last year at the same time, the number of such plants was around 96-110. Approximately 33 million tonnes (MT) of coal are currently stocked at the thermal power plants.