The Kerala State Electricity Board’s (KSEB) struggle to balance electricity demand and supply may not see much respite in 2024-25, if new projections on energy demand released by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) are any indication.
The State’s annual electrical energy requirement is expected to rise to 31,999 mu (million units) and peak demand to 5424 megawatts (mw) in 2024-25, show the latest CEA projections for the coming fiscal.
The month-wise break-up, as per the ‘Anticipated Energy Requirement and Peak Demand for Financial Year 2024-25’ shows that the energy demand will peak in April 2024 and March 2025 — the summer months — at 3036 mu and 3033 mu respectively.
The latest projections for the State are slightly higher when compared to the projections made in the 20th Electrical Power Survey of India, which anticipated Kerala’s 2024-25 requirement to be 30,729 mu and peak demand, 5,044 MW.
Meanwhile, the KSEB’s own projections are slightly lower than that of the CEA. The State-run power utility is expecting energy requirement to be in the vicinity of 29,500 mu and peak demand, around 5,470 MW, a senior KSEB official said.
“Normally, the State witnesses a 3% to 4% increase in the requirement every year. Last year it was somewhat higher. This year too, the demand is on the higher side largely on account of the rainfall-deficient monsoon season,” the official said.
The 2023 summer months saw the peak demand at a new record of 5024 MW.
In 2022-23, the state’s annual energy requirement had stood at 27,607 mu. As internal generation meets only 30% of the electricity demand, Kerala is heavily dependent on supply from the central generating stations and power purchases.
According to the recently-published KSEB Power Systems Statistics, the State’s installed capacity in the power sector has risen from 2,891.72 MW in 2013-14 to 3,514.81 MW in 2022-23.
