Power Ministry RK Singh, on Thursday, said that India’s peak power demand during the day has risen by more than 12 per cent to a whopping 204.65 gigawatts (GW) till April 28, which is an apt indication of the quick recovery in economic activity in the country
“During the current month April 2022 (up to April 28 till 14:50 hrs), the peak demand met during the day increased by 12.1 per cent to 204.653 GW from 182.559 GW during the same period the previous year,” said the Power Ministry in a statement.
Commending the quick uptick in demand, Singh told reporters: “The rate at which the Indian economy is growing, it will require more power. This high demand is not a one-off incident, it is here to stay. The demand is growing. My demand is going to be more than 200 GW, going ahead.”
The Ministry also estimates that the demand is expected to reach about 215-220 GW in months of May-June. The government and other stakeholders are working together to ensure unhindered power supply, and efforts are being made and measures taken for better utilisation of various resources.
“The rising power demand reflects the economic growth in the country. In March, the growth in energy demand has been around 8.9 per cent,” it added.
Increasing power consumption
India’s electricity consumption has been rising consistently, as the country emerged out of the Covid pandemic with growing economic and industrial activity.
For instance, on April 8, the peak power demand met during the day hit 199.58 GW. Though the maximum peak power demand met during the day came down from what was recorded on April 8, the numbers are still high as the average demand met between April 13 and April 4 (10 days) stood at 195.43 GW.
Then, on April 20, the peak power demand met during the day was 197.28 GW. On April 25, the peak demand met stood at a little over 199 GW as well.