Alarm bells go off as heat wave ups power demand, all utilities put on high alert

As a severe heatwave grips India, power engineers have reportedly warned that Punjab's grid is at risk of failing, which could have a domino effect on the entire country. 

Northern India has faced record electricity demand over the past month due to the extreme heat.

On Monday, the peak demand hit an all-time high of 89 gigawatts. While the demand was met, it caused power cuts in cities such as Lucknow and Meerut and disrupted services at Delhi's international airport due to a voltage spike.

The Ministry of Power has urged utilities to stay on high alert and minimize outages. To cope with the high demand, the Northern Region is importing 25-30% of its power from neighboring regions.

Directives have been issued to Imported Coal Based plants to maintain continuous generation support. This measure is to stabilize power availability by utilizing coal resources efficiently.

To enhance power generation capacity during peak demand periods, the Ministry has optimized maintenance schedules for generating units.

Efforts are focused on minimizing forced and partial outages across thermal and hydro power stations to ensure maximum operational uptime.
Hydroelectric stations have been advised to conserve water during peak solar hours and maximize generation during non-solar hours.

This strategic management aims to balance the grid load effectively and sustain power availability throughout the day.

In a bid to augment power supply, gas-based power plants have been directed to provide continuous grid support under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003.
Additionally, approximately 860 MW of additional non-NTPC gas-based capacity has been secured through competitive bidding specifically for the summer season.

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has also readied around 5000 MW of its gas-based capacity to meet immediate system requirements.
To optimize surplus power availability, un-requisitioned power from generating stations is being made available through market mechanisms.
Furthermore, states have been encouraged to utilize the PUShP portal to tie up with surplus power capacities available in other regions, ensuring efficient utilization of resources.

The Ministry of Power remains vigilant as heat wave conditions in North-West India are forecasted to ease from 20th June onwards, potentially alleviating strain on power demand.