Chennai: With the record evacuation of wind energy in the state this year, wind power generators in the state are hopeful of reversing the trend of declining wind projects capacity addition in the last four years.
Tangedco evacuated an all time high of 9,912 million units of wind energy in the peak windy season between April and September, bettering the previous high of 9,624 MU recorded in 2012-13
The state, which has the highest installed capacity of 7,480 mw from windmills in the country, gets 80 per cent of wind energy generated in a year during the peak windy months of April to September. “This is highest ever wind energy evacuation done by Tangedco in the peak wind season so far. It was made possible because of the wind energy generation forecast and scheduling given by the wind producers to the discom helped to evacuate 1.68 times more wind energy than the same period last year,” said a wind generator.
The increased evacuation would attract more investments in the wind energy sector, the private generator said, adding that the capacity addition in the state started to decline after the steep drop in evacuation since 2012-13. In 2013-14and 2014-15, wind power evacuation fell to 7,398 MU and 7,545 MU and it further declined to 5,877 MU in 20115-16. The state also witnessed steep fall in the capacity addition in the last four year as it fell from record 1,083 mw capacity addition in 2011-12 to mere 197 mw in 2015-16.
Mr D.V. Giri, secretary general, Indian Wind Turbines Manufacturers Association, attributed record evacuation of wind energy to the state government’s pro-active action of providing must run status to wind power. He said CM Jayalalithaa had made a bold decision of exporting wind power to Goa and Odisha.
He said that Tamil Nadu would be able to attract 400 mw to 500 mw capacity addition this year. The state would be able to attract 1,000 mw capacity addition if it encouraged export of power to other states, waive of transmission charges and provide incentives for repowering old wind mills.
