As heat rises, power demand touches 3240 MW, highest this season

New Delhi, May 1 (UNI) As the mercury continues its upwards movement, so do the power demands of the capital which today touched 3240 MW during the peak period, the highest of this season.

With the power demand already reaching the 3240 MW mark, Delhi Transco sources say that the demand during the peak Summer season could easily cross last year's maximum demand of 3626 MW experienced on June 23 last year.

Though the Delhi Transco had to resort to a minimal 8 MW of load shedding today during the peak period and 107 MW over the day, which translates to half an hour of power cuts in various areas, the normal supply was possible only after Delhi overdrew its share of electricity from the Northern Grid.

''There was no other way to provide adequate supply to the people of Delhi than to overdraw from the Grid,''Delhi Transco sources said.

It is notable that the Central Electricity authority has asked all the nine states which draw power from the Northern Grid not to overdraw electricity from the Grid as the overdrawing has thrown the Grid in a precarious state, leading it to experience frequency problems.

With the peak demand rising by the day - the demand rose from 3000 MW on Friday to 3175 MW yesterday to 3240 MW today - any collapse of the Northern Grid, which accounts for a major proportion of Delhi's power needs, could send the capital in the throes of a power crisis.

However, Delhi Transco sources said with several central power plants supplying power to Northern Grid, like ones at Dadri, Sanghrauli, Nathpa Jakhri and Indraprastha were expected to soon get back in operation, improving the power generation of the Grid.

''We are hopeful of soon getting back to action several central sector plants like the Dadri, Sanghrauli, the Nathpa Jhakri and Indraprastha. The annual maintainence work on these units, will soon be over and hence we hope to get them back to operation,''the sources said.

While the 500 MW Singhrauli plant is expected to be back in operation by Tuesday (May 2), the Nathpa Jhakri will resume operation next week and the Dadri in the next ten days, they said.

With the operationalisation of the units the problem of frequency in the Northern Grid will be solved to a large extent, they said.

UNI AR SBJ GC1907