Overview of the Wind Energy Sector in India
India has a vast supply of green energy resources, and has a significant program for deploying these resources. An exclusive ministry for renewable energy called Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources later renamed as Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNES) has also been set up.
According to the recent report on Renewable Energy in India from India-Reports, the Renewable Energy market in India is pegged at US$600 million, growing at 15% per annum. The Government’s renewable energy target by 2030 is 200 gigawatts, estimated to require US$200 billion in capital investment. Currently, 3.5% of installed capacity is in the renewable sector, producing 3700 MW. Renewable energy is projected to produce 10,000 MW by 2012.
Wind Energy in India
India is one of the fastest growing markets for wind energy and is next only to Germany in terms of growth. The estimated potential for wind energy generation in India is 20,000 MW. But currently only 600 MW is being generated.
The Government is offering attractive buy-back rates to encourage wind power generation by individuals and private parties.
The first wind turbines to installed were near Okhra in Gujarat.
Wind Energy has the lowest gestation period compared to conventional power and low operating costs. Capital costs for setting up a wind generation unit are estimated to be between Rs 4.5 crore to Rs 5.5 crore.
Major trends in wind energy generation in India
Some of the major trends in Wind Energy Generation in India are
1. Installation of high capacity machines of upto 1 MW as opposed to the earlier used low capacity 225 or 250 KW machines
2. Windmills without gearbox, having synchronous generator linked to inverter controls. This reduces transmission loss, offers quick response to wind change and optimizes generation.
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