Helped by state government concessions, Tamil Nadu is all set to expand its wind forms and become the country's premier wind-energy centre.
THE TAMIL Nadu government's
decision to encourage private industries to set up wind turbines has
received a good response and with an
increasing number of industries rushing to buy land, prices, have boomed
in the two areas developed for wind
farming - Muppandal in Kanniya-kumari di'strict and Kayattar in
Chidambaranar district.
Tamil Nadu generates the highest
amount of electricity from wind
energy and has an installed capacity
of 25 MW, of which 7.5 MW is generated by wind farms run by 18 private
firms. This year alone about 20 MW
is expected to be added by private
wind farms. The state government'
has projected an increase to 150 MW
of installed capacity of wind power
during the Eighth Plan, with the private sector contributing half the
power.
The state has moved ahead in
wind energy generation mainly
because all of Tamil Nadu is served
by one power grid. Hence, power
generated by a firm in Kayattar or
Muppandal and fed into the state
grid can be withdrawn by the firm
and supplied to its factory located
elsewhere. This makes it worthwhile
for industries to invest in wind energy turbines at faraway sites. Says K
Suresh, materials manager at Tee
Estates, Coonoor, "The facility
offered by the state grid for wheeling
and banking has been a great help."
Following the recent budget
announcement of a five-year tax holiday on profits from private sector
power units, this sector is expected
to increase its involvement in nonconventional energy generation even
more. Wind energy companies can
write off their entire investment in
the first year itself.
Union minister for non-conventional energy sources S Krishna
Kumar, announced in Madras recently that a massive plan for non-conventional energy source development
is on the anvil and World Bank assistance of US $200 million is likely to
come through for the entire project.
Because wind farms need adequate wind velocity, all activity at present is concentrated at Muppandal and Kayattar, two of the three areas in the state with adequate wind velocity. All three benefits from high-velocity, wasterly winds
blowing through three narrow gaps in the Western Ghats. But, as V Krishnamurthi, a senior Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency official, said, "It is only at Muppandal and Kayattar that infrastructural facilities are available."
Land prices are soaring in the wake of the government decision.
Says R Velusamy, special officer for
wind energy development with the
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, "Land
that cost about Rs 15,000 per hectare
in 1987-88, when TNEB started its
work on wind energy, now costs more than Rs 125,000 at Muppandal. In
Kayattar, the price has risen. from
Rs 74.70 to Rs 1,494 per hectare."
Muppandal land fetches higher
westerly winds
prices because the wind potential
here is greater. S Subramaniam,
hccounts manager of Atlanta Foods,
disclosed his company paid
Rs 70,000 to buy about half a hectare
in Muppandal
to install a wind generator.
Private industries in Tamil Nadu
see happy days ahead and South
India Viscose, one of the state's
major companies, has plans for
a gradual increase in electricity
production to 10 MW. Obviously.
Hard-pressed TNEB is not complaining either.
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