Offshore wind energy will further reduce dependence on coal fired thermal plants: Rajesh Lakhani

CHENNAI: The state's dependence on the coal-powered thermal power plants would further reduce when offshore wind power generation comes up as it would supply round-the-clock (RTC) power from June to February, said Tangedco chairman and managing director Rajesh Lakhani.

Addressing the fifth edition of Wind Energy 2023, an international trade fair organised by the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association, he said that at present the state gets RTC power from onshore windmills from June to September.

He said that during the wind power generation for four months, the coal-powered thermal plants are being kept shut down. "Out of the 350 million units average daily energy consumption, the wind energy alone contributes 120 MUs which is 40 per cent of the state's total consumption. The offshore wind power will be available on an RTC basis for six to seven months. Then, from June to February we will have RTC wind energy, " he said.

Tangedco CMD noted that the state is a pioneer in wind energy development from the establishment of the first windmills in 1981 to achieving 10 gigawatts installed capacity. He said that only recently Gujarat has overtaken Tamil Nadu with few hundred MW more wind capacity. "Our wind energy repowering policy will be coming soon. We are confident of the fast phasing of the wind energy development, " he said.

Pointing out that 65 percent of the windmills in the state are owned by captive power producers which is a model other states could emulate, he said that since the important wind sites are already taken, the repowering of the old windmills with the higher capacity wind turbines offers a solution. He said that the captive wind generators are not interested in repowering their old windmills as they might lose their captive status. He said that they are working on providing some incentives including modified wind banking methods to encourage repowering.

He sought the stakeholders' suggestions which could be accommodated soon to be-released repowering policy.

Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation (TIIC) chairman and managing director Hans Raj Verma, Dinesh Jagdale, joint secretary of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Freddy Svane, Ambassador of Denmark and DV Giri, secretary general of IWTMA also spoke.