The Hindu : New Delhi News : Rain brings down Delhi’s peak power demand by 1,000 MW

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Friday, May 30, 2008
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Rain brings down Delhi’s peak power demand by 1,000 MW

Staff Reporter

Dip in temperatures caused by the rain also saved the Capital from load-shedding
Increase in water levels has helped hydro-electricity go up by nearly 30 per cent

NEW DELHI: The rain that lashed the Capital in the past few days has done more than just bring down the temperature. The unexpected downpour helped bring down the peak power demand on an average by almost 1,000 MW, leading to a surge in the production of hydro-electricity and in all probability will also reduce the electricity bills of consumers for the month of May.

According to estimates released by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the month of May that is considered one of the year’s hottest was pleasant for Delhi in particular. The estimates point out that the peak demand for power fell from 3,300 MW in May 2007 to less than 2,300 MW in May 2008 because of the record rainfall in most parts of North India. The dip in temperatures caused by the rain also saved the city from load-shedding,

“In Delhi for the first 27 days of May, load-shedding was virtually nil which saved around 15 MW of electricity each day. In May 2007, as a result of higher load-shedding, daily power consumption of Delhi was up by 20 MW for which consumers had to pay higher electricity bills,” it is estimated.

According to ASSOCHAM president Venugopal N. Dhoot, electricity bills for both domestic and industrial consumers are expected to be lower for May as both air-coolers and air-conditioners were used optimally.

The estimates further point out that the record rain also moderated the water reservoir levels of hydro-plants like Nathpa Jhakr, Chamera and Salal, where hydro-electricity production went up by nearly 30 per cent.

According to ASSOCHAM, the good news for the Capital is that since the water levels of many reservoirs have gone up, there will be higher allocations of electricity from Central hydro-power utilities for Delhi even if the temperature rises in June and subsequently.

No excess withdrawal

The estimates also point out that there was no excess withdrawal of power from the Northern Grid during May and the Capital’s transmission lines faced virtually no stress.

“In May 2007, excess withdrawal of power from the Northern Grid was to the extent of around 400 MW on an average, which caused faults in the transmission lines,” the estimates point out.

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