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The Wind power
industry is fifteen years old. The industry has shown very slow
growth. The growth has been maximum in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra
and Gujarat.
According to
estimates, during 2000-2001 the capacity addition to the
installed capacity in India has been 173 megawatts to make a total of 1,340
megawatts.
The global installed
capacity in the beginning of 2001 was over 17,500 megawatt. The
future of wind power energy is predicted to be very dynamic and
buoyant. The renowned Danish Consultancy BTM Consult ApS in its
report on the current and future development of world-wide wind
energy use says that newly installed Wind power production would
grow annually from 4,500 megawatt to 10,000 megawatt lopsided in
2005. In the next five years the total installed capacity is
expected to be over 58,000 megawatt from the 17,500 megawatt at
the end of 2000. It will increase to 145,000 megawatt by 2010.
The growth will be
led by Europe. Spain, which had only 110 megawatt capacity in
1995 has crossed 2,500
megawatt. BTM says
it will install 8,400
megawatt by 2005 and become the world leader. Germany in 2000
alone installed over 1,600 megawatt, more than India’s 15-year
achievement and reached 6,113 megawatt by end of 2000. It will
have a capacity of a 8,200 megawatt by 2005. The United States,
Australia, China and Japan also have ambitious renewable energy
programmes. India has the fifth position in the global ranking.
In India the wind
power energy pioneer is Tamil Nadu. With 813 megawatt, the State
accounts for more than 60 percent of the installed capacity in
the country. Tamil Nadu has some of the best
windy regions in the country.
This industry has got
the potential to develop employment on a large scale. In Germany
it is reported that wind power boom created over 17,000 new jobs.
In European conditions one megawatt of wind power is estimated
to create 15 to 19 jobs.
In India, it will be much more.
One megawatt
installation occupies about five acres of land in India. At
present over 65,000 acres of land can be brought under wind
mills. Even if 50 percent of this land is utilized it can create
enormous value of wind power
and income to investors.
Initially India’s
wind power potential was assessed at round 20,000 megawatt. On a
reassessment, the figure has been raised to 45,000 megawatt.
Installation of 10,000 megawatt is immediately possible assuming 20 percent grid penetration which will increase with the
augmentation of grid capacity in the potential States.
The installed
capacity for wind power and the potential in India is given in
the table below:
|
State
|
31.03.2001
|
31.03.2000
|
Gross potential
|
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
91.90
|
88.10
|
8275
|
|
Gujarat
|
166.90
|
166.90
|
9675
|
|
Karnataka
|
44.60
|
34.30
|
6620
|
|
Kerala
|
2.00
|
2.00
|
875
|
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
22.60
|
22.60
|
5500
|
|
Maharashtra
|
189.80
|
79.20
|
3650
|
|
Rajasthan
|
7.30
|
2.00
|
5400
|
|
Tamil Nadu
|
812.60
|
770.80
|
3050
|
|
West Bengal
|
0.50
|
0.50
|
450
|
|
Others
|
1.60
|
1.60
|
1700
|
|
Total
|
1339.80
|
1167.50
|
45195
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It can be seen from
the above table that there is a huge potential for development
of wind power in
nearly all the States.
More and more
companies in the private sector are going in for installation of
Wind Power projects. Bajaj Auto Limited is in the process of
installing a 60 megawatt wind Power project in Satara and
Ahmednagar districts
of Maharashtra.
It is to be noted
that there were about 30 active wind mill suppliers in the mid
90s. Now there are only less then 10.
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