India's power demand nears all-time high as heatwave intensifies
India's peak power demand soared to a new seasonal high of 239.96GW on Friday, driven by rising temperatures across the country. The heatwave has led to an increased use of cooling appliances such as air conditioners and coolers. The power ministry reported this data, marking it as the highest for this year's summer season so far.
Previous days also witnessed high power demand
The preceding days also experienced high power demands, with Thursday recording 236.59GW and Wednesday at 235.06GW. The all-time high peak power demand was recorded in September 2023 at 243.27GW, a record anticipated to be surpassed this summer season. Earlier in May, the power ministry had projected a peak power demand of 235GW during daytime and 225GW during evening hours for May, and 240GW during daytime and 235GW during evening hours for June 2024.
Power demand may exceed all-time high
Industry experts have noted that the power demand has already reached around the 240GW level in May, which was initially projected for June by the power ministry. They believe that the power demand could further increase to exceed the all-time high of 243.27GW recorded last September. The power ministry has also projected that peak power demand could reach up to 260GW during this summer season.
Power demand trends in early 2024
Data shows that peak power demand was at 224.18GW in April 2024, marking the onset of the summer season in various parts of India. The figures for March, February, and January were recorded at 221.82GW, 222.16GW, and 223.51GW, respectively. In May, peak supply hit a high of 233GW on May 6 and slightly higher at 233.80GW on May 21, compared to a record of 221.42GW in May of the previous year (2023).
Heatwave predicted to increase power demand
Earlier this year in March, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that India is likely to experience a warmer summer with more heatwave days this year due to continuing El Nino conditions until at least May. From March to May, an above-normal number of heatwave days is expected over most parts of India excluding northeast India, western Himalayan region, southwest peninsula, and west coast. This prediction aligns with the observed surge in power demand.
