TNPDCL Absorbs Record 124.34 Million Units of Wind Power in a Single Day

The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL) successfully absorbed an all-time high of 124.34 million units (Mu) of wind-generated electricity into the grid on Friday. This milestone, reported from Chennai, represents a significant portion of the state's energy mix, accounting for approximately 27 percent of Tamil Nadu’s overall daily power consumption. The state’s total power consumption on Friday was recorded at 452.212 Mu.

The performance on Friday broke the previous single-day wind power generation record of 123.85 Mu, which was established in August of last year. This landmark achievement also capped off a highly consistent week for renewable energy. Friday marked the seventh consecutive day that wind power generation in the state crossed the 100 Mu threshold, which included the absorption of 112.09 Mu by the TNPDCL on Sunday.

This surge in wind energy generation comes at a crucial time as the state's evening power demand continues to rise. Because the power demand regularly surges beyond 20,000 megawatts (MW) during the evening hours, the TNPDCL has been actively absorbing as much wind power as possible. Officials noted that they are operating with very little curtailments to ensure they can meet these high consumer requirements.

In addition to wind, solar power generation also recorded strong numbers during the daytime hours on Friday. The peak solar generation crossed 7,000 MW, further boosting the state's renewable energy contributions.

The high wind output on Friday came as a surprise to industry representatives. The Renewable Energy Producers Association (REPA) stated that the initial forecast for wind power was low, at an estimated 115 Mu for Friday. However, the final generation comfortably breached those anticipated figures.

Looking ahead, K. Venkatachalam, the chief adviser to REPA, stated that the coming week is expected to be highly productive for wind power generators as the weather forecast remains good. TNPDCL officials have also instructed their field officers to absorb as much renewable power as possible to maximize grid efficiency.