Thursday 21 March 2013

Tamil Nadu eyes 5,000 MW more wind power

www.deccanchronicle.com
3 Mar 2013

Chennai: With the revival of the generation based incentive scheme, Tamil Nadu hopes to retain the status of a leading generator of wind power producer by adding 5,000 MW hopes to retain the status of a leading generator of wind power producer by adding 5,000 MW in the next five years.

Constraints in providing power evacuation facilities to the new developers and the scrapping of the GBI scheme drove away potential investors in wind power sectors to other states like Maharastra and Gujarat. Tamil Nadu has the highest installed wind capacity of 7160.1 as on January 31 this year, which accounts for country's 40 total installed wind. Tangedco has an ambitious plan to add wind power capacity of 13,500 MW by 2020.

After achieving an all time capacity addition of 1083 MW in 2011 12, Tamil Nadu has witnessed drastic fall in capacity addition of windmills post GBI with only 173 MW added to the grid as on January 31 this year. During the same period, Maharastra has added 242 MW in the grid while Gujarat has installed 226 MW.

K. Kasturirangan, chairman, Indian Wind Power Association said that the industry added 3196 MW in 2011 12, this year (till January) capacity addition fell to 1200 MW. "The country not only failed to add 1800 MW to the grid, but also lost investment to the tune of '110,800 crore and creation of new employment opportunities", he told DC. He said that during peak windy season, many wind power projects were disconnected from grid, which caused a lot of wastage of power besides a huge backlog in payment of arrears and a low price for the energy produced by windmills were the factors forcing investors to scout other states.

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