Power demand tops 250 GW as weak monsoon keeps heat on

New Delhi: The sultry weather lingering across much of the country has pushed India's peak power demand back mostly above 250 GW in the last two weeks, even as the progress of the southwest monsoon remained sluggish. Peak power demand touched 264.8 GW on Saturday and returned to 250.6 GW on Sunday.

The government's projection for the next three months, which coincide with the monsoon period, is 247-278 GW amid forecasts of below-normal rains, according to a government official.

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The power ministry, through the Grid Controller of India, will continue to assess rainfall projections, including the weather office's forecast next month, to evaluate any potential impact on power generation, ET reported on June 20.

A deficient monsoon could keep electricity consumption elevated for cooling and irrigation, particularly in August and September, according to an industry official.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast rainfall during the June-September southwest monsoon to be 90% of the long-period average.

To ensure uninterrupted supply, the power ministry has put in place contingency plans to maximise, if required, the availability of coal-fired power by deferring planned maintenance of the plants, especially to meet demand during non-solar hours.

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The government may also consider directing gas-based power plants to operate at optimum levels under special provisions of the Electricity Act, if needed, the official said. Such a direction would enable generators to recover the higher cost of using imported natural gas.

Gas-based plants account for nearly 25 GW of the installed capacity but typically operate at low plant load factors because of expensive fuel.

According to officials, adequate coal stocks are available at thermal power stations and there is coordination among power generators, transmission utilities and grid operators to maintain reliable supply throughout the season.

India has witnessed several record peak demand cases this year driven by prolonged heatwaves, recording the highest demand met at 270.1 GW in May.