TN lost wind energy spot due to policies: Investors

CHENNAI: As Tamil Nadu lost its top position to Gujarat in the wind energy installed capacity, the generators blamed unfavourable policies, lack of incentives, delayed payments, and red tapism for fewer capacity addition of windmills over the past many years.

As of June, this year, Gujarat’s wind installed capacity stood at 10,899 MW, which is the highest in the country followed by Tamil Nadu’s 10,153 MW. The total wind installed capacity in the country is 43,773 MW. With the bulk of wind capacity addition in the near future coming up in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu is unlikely to regain its position, said wind power experts.

In contrast to Tamil Nadu’s approach, the wind generators point out that favourable policy interventions, the availability of infrastructure, and timely payment, among others, have helped Gujarat’s acceleration in new capacity addition in the wind power sector.

AD Thirumoorthy, an energy consultant, said that Tamil Nadu has the potential for repowering 4,000 MW of wind energy capacity with the state’s prime windy locations having installed wind turbines of 50-metre hub height. “With windmills in the windy locations that have served 20 to 25 years of life, they could be replaced with higher capacity turbines,” he said.

However, he noted that the wind generators have issues with the repowering policies as they did not offer any incentives to them.

“If a 250-kilowatt windmill is replaced by a two MW turbine, the developer has to invest in improving the transmission capacity as well. No wind banking facility would be provided to the repowered windmills. With the windmills installed in the state by private companies mostly for captive use, the unavailability of the banking facility makes the repowering unattractive,” he said.

One of the wind energy developers said that Tamil Nadu was the leading wind energy generating state but it did not have a wind power policy leave alone a state-specific repowering policy. “Gujarat has a repowering policy but Tamil Nadu does not have one. In fact, the repowering takes away the existing incentives like repowering,” he said, adding that the repowering will not lead to increase in the installed capacity.

A senior Tangedco official said that unlike Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan has huge potential for wind power development and have cheaper availability of land. “In Tamil Nadu, all the windy sites have been taken,” the official said, adding that a consultant has been appointed to study and review the repowering policy.