Why power grid is facing the most strain at night, Pg17

Key Highlights:

• India's power grid is experiencing strain at night due to the unavailability of approximately 150 GW of solar capacity after sunset.
• Peak demand reached a record high of 256 GW on Saturday, with a peak shortfall of around 4.2 GW at 10:39 PM.
• Forced and partial outages at power plants surged to nearly 26 GW, contributing to the shortfall during non-solar hours.
• Spot electricity prices have sharply increased at night, reaching the maximum regulatory limit of around Rs 10 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Detailed Insights:

• The power grid relies on conventional sources like coal, gas, hydro, nuclear, and wind to meet demand during non-solar hours (6 PM to 6 AM).
• High temperatures have caused increased forced outages at coal-based power plants, reducing plant availability when demand peaks in the evening.
• Planned maintenance shutdowns are temporary pauses for repairs, while forced outages are unplanned disruptions due to technical faults or fuel constraints.
• The surge in power demand occurred in April, earlier than the traditional peak demand periods of June-July or September-October.
• Extreme heat conditions put additional stress on generation equipment, exacerbating the gap between power demand and supply during non-solar hours.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Peak Demand: The highest electrical power demand recorded at any moment on a particular day.
• Forced Outage: Unplanned disruption in power generation due to technical faults or equipment failures.
• Spot Price: The current market price at which a commodity or security is bought or sold for immediate settlement.