last updated 6th January 06
By Maijo Abraham, Hi-Tech-Editorial Division

Country's gross wind energy potential is 45,000MW

Despite India's rebuttal of the Kyoto Protocol along with the USA, China and Australia, it has made big strides forward in renewable power.

The utilization of wind energy is relatively new to Indians, as the old technology of windmills was not very popular in the country. However, the tremendous potential of the energy resource and the recent relaxation of the rules and regulations made it a feasible alternative to the dwindling conventional resources.

Initiated in 1983-84, the Indian wind power programme has gone a long way in the past two decades. Today, the country is the world's fifth largest wind power producer. India currently produces more than 3,000 MW of wind energy annually. The gross wind energy potential in India has been estimated at 45,000 MW and the technical potential is about 13,000 MW. Indigenously developed wind power technologies are another great achievement of the country in this field. Nearly 80 per cent indigenisation has been achieved.

In India, besides the Government promoted projects, private investors/developers have set up a number of commercial wind power projects in the recent years. The state of Tamil Nadu possesses 72% of the commercial plants in the country and has a total capacity of 1685 MW. However, Gujarat, which has the greatest gross potential (9675 MW), has only the total capacity of 218 MW.

Wind power installed capacity in different states

Source: MNES, New Delhi

Almost 80% of the wind power generated in India is used for captive consumption. The rest 20% is sold to the grid or to a third party. A number of Indian firms have tied up with foreign collaborators for joint venture/licensed production of wind electric generators in India and some state governments have agreed to purchase power generated in the private sector-run wind farms. The state of Maharashtra had recently set up a large wind farm at Satara, with around 1000 windmills spanning and 2500 hectares of mountainous terrain.

Currently, wind power contributes to only 3% of total electricity produced in India. Moreover the country's estimated wind power potential is 45 gigawatts, much lower than the world wide estimated potential of 72 terawatts. However, wind is expected to contribute to 60% of the target of power generation from renewable resources. And, as a feasible alternative to conventional energy resources, it bears great importance.