AI, power purchase deals to help Delhi discoms meet expected summer peak demand of over 8000 MW

New Delhi: The use of latest technologies such as artificial intelligence and long-term power purchase agreements with other states are among the steps taken by discoms to meet the national capital's high power demand this summer, officials said on Monday.

With high temperatures projected for the season, Delhi's peak power demand is expected to cross 8,000 MW for the first time, reaching up to 8,200 MW, according to State Load Dispatch Centre data.

The officials said the city's previous high was 7,695 MW in 2022 and last year's peak power demand was 7,438 MW.

The peak power demand in the areas covered by BSES Rajdhani Power Limited's (BRPL) -- South and West Delhi -- which were 3,250 MW and 3,389 MW in the summers of 2023 and 2022 respectively, are expected to reach around 3,679 MW this summer, a BSES spokesperson said.

The other BSES discom BYPL recorded the peaks of 1,670 MW and 1,752 MW during the summers of 2023 and 2022 respectively, in its distribution areas of Central and East Delhi. This year it is expected to reach 1,857 MW, he said.

The BSES discoms are geared up to ensure reliable power supply to meet the power needs of around 50 lakh consumers of the company, said the company spokesperson.

These arrangements include around 2,100 MW of green power that will play an important role in meeting the demand in summer months, he said.

Besides, long-term power purchase agreements and banking arrangements with other states and deployment of latest technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict power demand will be used, he added.

The BSES has made power banking arrangements with many states, from where its two discoms in the national capital will get upto 670 MW of power, the spokesperson said.

A Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) spokesperson said that Delhi's summer peak power demand is expected to surge above 8,000 MW and the company expects its own peak demand to scale up to 2,351 MW this season.

Last summer, TPDDL saw a peak power demand of 2,218 MW in August 2023, she said.

"The peak load of the national capital is projected to reach 8,000 MW in late June or early July amid anticipation of scorching temperatures this year," she said.

"As we approach the summer season, we anticipate the peak demand to reach approximately 2,351 MW within our jurisdiction and we are well-prepared to meet this demand," said Ganesh Srinivasan, chief executive officer of the discom.

"Our proactive approach includes rigorous safety measures and maintenance initiatives across our distribution network," Srinivasan said.

The TPDDL spokesperson said load balancing at sub stations, deployment of additional manpower, mobile transformers, quick reaction teams, bilateral agreements, reserve shutdown, power exchange, battery storage systems for key customers during exigencies, are part of the summer action plan for uninterrupted power supply.