Electricity imports by the northern regional grid (NR) rose sharply by 38 per cent, year-on-year, during the first quarter (Q1: April to June) of FY25.
According to latest statistics released by Grid Controller of India Ltd (GRID-INDIA), NR imported 31,090 MU in Q1FY25, up 38 per cent from 22,585 MU in Q1FY24.
Much of this was attributable to the intense heat wave in north Indian that spurred electricity demand to unprecedented levels in Q1FY25.
In April 2024, the average electricity demand met stood at 58,524 MW that rose consistently to 74,676 MW in May 2024 and further to 83,234 MW in June 2024.
In fact, on May 30, 2024, peak electricity demand was 86,785 MW that broke the then all-time high record of 81,220 MW made on September 4, 2023. Significantly, on June 19, 2024, a new record peak demand of 91,215 MW was created.
Going by past statistics, the average electricity imports by NR in the first quarter have been around 24,645 MU, over the period FY21 to FY24.
NR is also an exporter of electricity but its exports declined significantly by 21 per cent year-on-year in Q1FY25. This made NR a net importer of electricity to the tune of 24,485 MU in Q1FY25, sharply rising from 14,209 MU in the same quarter of FY24.
Meanwhile, total interregional electricity transfer was 71,038 MU in Q1FY25 as against 60,409 MU in Q1FY24 – a growth of 17.6 per cent.
Nearly 40 per cent of this total transfer was accounted for by imports by NR from WR (denoted as WR-NR). The total WR-NR transfer stood at 27,301 MU, growing sharply by 60.5 per cent from 17,014 MU in Q1FY24. Traditionally, NR imports most of its electricity (averaging around 70 per cent) from WR.
Speaking of other regional grids, WR was a big exporter of electricity with the quantum of exports rising by 42 per cent, year-on-year, to reach 44,963 MU in Q1FY25. SR and NER also saw higher growth in their electricity exports but in terms of actual quantum exported, they were much below WR.
ER continued to be a net exporter of electricity in Q1FY25 albeit with lower net export level of 7,532 MU as against 12,292 MU in Q1FY24.
Interregional transfer capacity
As of June 30, 2024, India’s total interregional (IR) transfer stood at 1,18,740 MW, unchanged from its level as of March 31, 2024. No addition to the IR capacity in Q1FY25 is also borne out by the fact that no new transmission lines in the ISTS network were commissioned during the quarter. This has already been discussed in an earlier story by T&D India. Of India’s current total IR transfer capacity, nearly one-third deals with transfer between NR and WR.
During FY24, India added 6,490 MW worth of IR capacity with bulk of the addition (4,200 MW) seen in the transfer between WR and SR regions. The transfer capacity between WR and NR was enhanced by 1,600 MW during FY24. The remaining 690 MW related to transfer between the ER and NER regions.
(Note: WR, NR, SR, ER and NER represent the western, northern, southern, eastern and northeastern regional grids, respectively. MU = million units = million kwh = Gwh)
