India meets record peak power demand in power sector
In a significant milestone for India’s power sector, the country met its record peak power demand of 250 GW on 30 May 24. Further, non-solar demand across the country also reached an all-time high of 234.3 GW on 29 May, reflecting the combined effect of weather-induced loads and rising industrial and residential power consumption in these regions. The Northern region also met its record peak demand of 86.7 GW on 30 May, while the Western region also met its peak demand of 74.8 GW.
In addition, all-India thermal power generation touched an all-time high, particularly during non-solar hours, hitting a peak of 176 GW (excluding buses). A major contributor to this was the strategic implementation of Section 11, which allowed maximising generation from imported coal-based plants as well as gas-based plants. This surge reflects the significant potential and operational efficiency of India's thermal power plants, which continue to be the backbone of the country's energy mix.
Support from renewable energy sources, especially solar energy during solar hours and wind energy during non-solar hours, was also significant in meeting this demand.
These achievements are a testimony to the coordinated efforts of various stakeholders in the power sector, including government agencies, power generation companies and grid operators. Their commitment to increasing generation capacity, optimising resource allocation and implementing policies have been instrumental in meeting the country's energy needs.
