Gandhinagar: Gujarat’s electricity grid recorded an all-time peak demand of 29,822MW on Oct 16, marking a 36% increase from the 21,822MW logged during the same period last year and highlighting the growing pressure on the state’s energy infrastructure.The unprecedented demand prompted a review meeting chaired by energy minister Rushikesh Patel and minister of state Kaushik Vekariya with officials from the energy and petrochemicals department, the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) and power utilities.Dismissing rumours of a power shortage, a senior official said consumers need not worry about supply disruptions. The official, however, urged citizens to shift discretionary electricity use to daytime hours and conserve power between 5pm and 11pm until temperatures moderate.Officials attributed the sharp rise to a combination of factors, including persistent heat linked to El Nino conditions, increased industrial activity ahead of Navratri and Diwali, and agricultural irrigation demand touching nearly 12,000MW a day. At the same time, low wind speeds and below-normal rainfall have reduced generation from wind and hydropower sources.Among distribution companies, PGVCL accounted for 30% of power supplied, while DGVCL and UGVCL each accounted for 22%. MGVCL’s share stood at 10%, with other discoms together accounting for the remaining 16%.Daily electricity consumption touched 574 million units on Oct 16, up from 457 million units a year ago.To ensure adequate fuel supply, the Union ministry of coal has assured Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Ltd (GSECL) of 10 to 11 coal rakes a day until Nov, with allocations expected to rise to 13 to 14 rakes thereafter.The state has also secured short-term power procurement arrangements of 2,990MW for Oct, 1,740MW for Nov and 1,335MW for Dec. Additional supplies will come from NTPC’s Farakka plant, central allocations from Assam and the Centre’s unallocated power pool.As a long-term solution to bridge the gap between sunset and peak demand hours, Gujarat is expanding battery energy storage systems (BESS). Currently, 192MW of storage capacity is operational, contracts have been finalised for 2,742MW/5,517MWh, and a fresh tender for 1,000MW/4,000MWh is under way. Officials said the proposed system would be capable of supplying 1,000MW continuously for four hours during evening peak demand.The state is also pursuing additional thermal, hydro, and nuclear capacity over the coming years. These include central allocations of more than 1,300MW of thermal power and over 1,200MW of hydropower, a 4,000MW GUVNL tender under the SHAKTI scheme, a proposed 4,200MW nuclear project through an MoU with NPCIL, and an 800MW thermal unit at Ukai slated for commissioning in 2029.
