Ministry of Power Takes Action to Ensure Uninterrupted Power Supply During High Demand Period

The Ministry of Power in India has reviewed its preparations to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the high demand period expected in April and May 2023.

It has been predicted that the above-normal temperature summer will result in significant increases in power and peak demands. Peak demand is expected to reach 230-235 GW in mid-April, 20 GW more than last year.

To generate the required amount of power, approximately 194 GW of thermal capacity will be needed.

Hydro generation during the period will be low due to less rainfall and snow issues. The main challenge will be to meet the non-solar hour peak, particularly in the evenings.

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has prepared an action plan to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the period, which includes strict adherence to zero planned maintenance hours for conventional plants, fair distribution of available domestic coal capacity across all GENCOs, utilization of captive coal mines, procurement of imported coal, utilization of gas plants, optimization of water utilization, full operation of all ICB plants, implementation of automatic fuel and power purchase cost adjustment, and adequate arrangements of power to avoid load shedding.

India's energy demand is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.67% between 2022-2027 and at 5.33% between 2027-2032. With the increasing penetration of renewables, the challenges to cater to high summer loads will only increase. The inclusion of flexible reserves in the grid and long-term resource adequacy plans is becoming more important to sustainably address such situations in the coming years.

For more details view the Ministry Memorandum here: