Nearly half of Delhi’s transformers over 25 years old, govt plans phased replacement

According to an official document, by 2030, with the expansion of the Metro network and push for electric vehicles and other facilities requiring power demand, the projected accelerated growth, however, is 13,114 MW.

“No power transformer has been replaced with a new unit since 2020, with only temporary arrangements being made over the past five years,” Power Minister Ashish Sood said.

Hitting out at the previous AAP government, he said, “… the previous government, despite being in power for 11 years, did not care to replace ageing power infrastructure. Multiple tenders were issued but work was not awarded… data shows that out of the budget allocated for upgradation and infrastructure, very little was spent.”

“…It takes two to three years to make and install a transformer and with the war situation, prices have also increased. But seeing the future demand, the government is working to upgrade infrastructure to deliver 24×7 reliable, economical, safe and quality power supply to every citizen in the next four years,” said Sood.

The data shows that since 2020, 18 power transformers had been damaged and 11 failed before completing the 25-year operational life defined by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Five of these 18 transformers were arranged on loan from Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), BSES Rajdhani Power Limited and BSES Yamuna Power Limited. Seven transformers were replaced by shifting transformers from other DTL substations, while one unit was diverted from the Project department. However, three transformers damaged in July and August 2024 — at IP, Patparganj and Pappankalan-I — are yet to be replaced.

Four others, at Bawana, Peeragarhi, Sarita Vihar and Park Street, took nearly a year to be replaced.

“There is a lack of coordination and ineffective decision-making, resulting in delays in taking timely and appropriate actions,” said an official.

Officials said that multiple tenders floated by DTL for procurement of key power transformers were cancelled over the past few years.

According to the data, tenders for procurement of 500 MVA power transformers were floated four times between July 2020 and January 2025 but were dropped each time. Similarly, tenders for 160 MVA transformers were floated five times between September 2019 and November 2024 but were repeatedly cancelled.

Moreover, a tender for procurement of 100 MVA transformers floated in May 2022 was dropped and reissued only in November 2024 before finally being awarded to BHEL.

“This reflects a lackadaisical approach towards the requirement of crucial power transformers that are essential to meet Delhi’s future load demand. It further indicates poor planning, lack of market study, inaccurate estimation, and the inclusion of unfavorable terms and conditions in the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT),” an official document read.

The records further show that tenders for 66 kV GIS (gas insulated substations) projects at BTPS, Dwarka and Harsh Vihar floated between 2019 and 2022 were repeatedly dropped and are yet to be re-floated.

Among the 24 transmission line schemes, only four have been commissioned so far, while land is yet to be made available for six projects, the records further show. One scheme is being executed by PGCIL, while the remaining projects are under revision and preparation.

“Delay in re-floating tenders has nearly doubled the estimated cost of several schemes,” an official said.

A tender floated last January for the Sarojini Nagar substation project was dropped and later reissued in June, with the project estimate increasing from Rs 177 crore to Rs 237 crore.

The data also shows that while 13 substation-related schemes were executed in the last five years, none were completed within the stipulated timeline. Eight projects, including those at Gopalpur, Timarpur, Okhla, Kashmiri Gate, Geeta Colony and Vasant Kunj, were delayed by nearly two years or more. Among the 13 transmission line schemes executed during the same period, one project was delayed by two years while another saw a delay of one year.

The documents further reveal 45 instances where outages linked to DTL assets lasted for over an hour. Of these, six outages continued for more than two hours, while one incident at Lodhi Road substation lasted over nine hours.

The Delhi government, meanwhile, is working on a Power Master Plan — Mission 2030′ to address all electricity demand and strengthen the distribution network across the city.