Tamil Nadu will see the maximum increase in peak power demand among the southern States by 2026-27. The State’s peak power demand is estimated to grow 65% to 27,392 MW by 2026-27 from 16,541 MW in 2021-22.
The data were shared at a special meeting organised by the Southern Regional Power Committee under the Central Electricity Authority.
According to the data shared by the Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd. (CTUIL), a fully owned arm of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, Tamil Nadu’s power demand reached 17.2 gigawatt in March 2022, against its installed capacity of 35 gigawatt (GW). Against the peak demand of 27.4 GW envisaged by 2026-27, there was no generation capacity addition seen in the Tamil Nadu system, it noted.
CTUIL said that during the peak period of February/March 2027, Tamil Nadu would draw power to the level of 10,111 MW. But it warned that with the projected/planned transmission system and generation addition, the State could not draw so much.
It also pointed out that against the present scheduled drawal of about 6,000 MW, Tamil Nadu was drawing around 12,000 MW during peak hours. If this scenario was extrapolated, drawal might cross 17,000-18,000 MW. In the past, generation projects were not coming up in the Tamil Nadu system as planned, it noted.
CTUIL said that given the constraints in the transmission network, Tamil Nadu did not have additional import capability and without further studies and consultations and network addition, no long- term and medium-term open access might be granted.
It also warned that the State might not be able to draw the required power in the next year peak itself and stressed the need for augmenting the transmission lines.
At the meeting, State officials said Tamil Nadu’s demand might not go beyond 26 GW in 2026-27. Officials of Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Limited said that taking a 17,600-MW demand during 2022-23 as the base, the demand was expected to increase to 26,000 MW by 2031-32, which would be approved by the Central Electricity Authority. In five years, a capacity addition of around 4,000 MW was planned, they added.
