Curb on wind power sans prior info irks generators

“During the months of November and December 2019 and January 2020 wind energy was curtailed, even though the generation is low. The daily curtailment details along with reason have not been informed to the generators and the curtailment details have not been posted in the SLDC website also,” IWPA wrote in the letter to the SRPC.

The Southern Regional Load Dispatch had instructed in August last year that under section 29 (1) of the Electricity Act in respect of renewable energy scheduling or curtailment. “Any curtailment along with reason was to be made known to the renewable energy generator and SRLDC in writing and through SLDCs website,” SRLDC noted.

The Wind Power Association cited the SRLDC letter in December last year again requesting Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu SLDCs to furnish the complied information of renewable energy curtailment with reason.

“It was noted that the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New Renewable and Energy have received letters from RE generator on irregular curtailment by SLDCs and they are closely monitoring RE curtailments,” SRLDC said.

A senior TANTRANSCO official said that they were giving intimation to the RE generator when they had to back down generation to ensure grid stability.

The wind power association has been complaining about the increasing curtailment of wind power generation in Tamil Nadu. “Average curtailment of wind power in 2019 was 3.52 hours a day an increase of 88.2 per cent. Back down hours in peak wind season between May and September increased by more than 100 per cent compared to the same period in 2018,” said the association in the meeting conducted by the Central Electricity Authority on January 7 this year on RE curtailment.

It noted that estimated generation loss in Tamil Nadu for installed capacity of 8,502 MW is 1,243 million units and estimated loss due to curtailment is 10 per cent.