There has been a 53% increase in electricity consumption in Maharashtra compared to the initial months of the COVID-19 lockdown, and power demand has touched 23,000MW this month.

This is chiefly due to Mission Begin Again from June onwards—with many industries, manufacturing units, and private sector companies reopening in phases and the consumption demand increasing gradually, experts said. Many offices resumed with 30-50% staff while industrial power consumption too went up by at least 20% over the past few months. The latest relaxations, which allow more offices, shops, malls, multiplexes, and restaurants to reopen, have led to more consumption.

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A source from Mahagenco, the state power generator, said that thermal power generation has also gone up from 5,000MW a few months back to over 7,000MW now. The demand for power fell to as low as 15,000MW in April and May last year but has now returned to normal levels.

Sources said that the demand for power across the state (including Mumbai) was an average 15,000MW in March-end and in April and May last year. This gradually increased to 18,000MW in June, and later averaged between 20,000MW and 21,000MW between July and December. In January, the demand peaked to 22,000MW and has now touched 23,000MW in February, the sources stated.

Power expert Ashok Pendse said that as compared to the first two quarters of 2020 (April to June and July to September), there was not much of an expectation in the third quarter (October to December) during the COVID pandemic. “But surprisingly, the push from the automobile and other manufacturing sectors was phenomenally large and the production resumed in a big way, thereby also resulting in huge consumption of electricity. Consumption also went up as shops, malls and other establishments opened up,” Pendse said, adding that now the situation was almost back to normal in the power sector.

Worried about the rising demand for electricity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Raut had last year visited Tata Power thermal plants in Trombay and the Adani Electricity office to evaluate the existing power generation and the future demand. Sources said that Mumbai`s demand could rise to 3,500MW, and MMR’s to 5,000MW.

Mumbai’s power demand during summer season touches 3,400-3,600MW and drops to 2,400MW during winters. Since 1981, the city has been protected by a system called ‘islanding’ for which citizens pay around Rs 450-500 crore each year through electricity bills. This is to ensure that Mumbai gets constant supply even if there is a power outage in the MMR or elsewhere in the state. While Tata Power generates 1,337MW, Adani Electricity generates 500MW in Dahanu. Experts said it’s insufficient to meet the demand.

“Tata Power has the capacity to generate 2,300MW for which they can add another 1,000MW. There is a need to augment generation capacity,” experts added.

The Metro Rail projects are also coming up in the city and this could consume 280MW of additional electricity when it begins full-scale operations. The MMRDA is constructing 12 metro rail lines in Mumbai and the MMR. The only underground Metro-3 is being built by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation. Covering 336km, these lines will expectedly consume more energy when ready.

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