Even as the State’s new Wind Power Policy comes into force from Wednesday, Gujarat is all set to register by this year end an additional 624 MW of wind energy, with some leading private players in the wind energy sector like Suzlon, Enercon and Vestas having already installed wind turbine generators (WTGs) on their wind farms in the Suarashtra/Kutch region.
Since 1993 when it was decided to harness the wind energy in coastal parts of the State, a total of only 568 MW of wind power had been recorded till March 2007. Now that the private companies have started implementing their respective wind power generation projects signed during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit, the generation is expected to reach about 1,192 MW, with 624 MW of wind energy to be added to the present installed capacity.
Suzlon that had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a 1,000 MW project has already set up WTGs on its wind farm generating 226 MW of electricity, while the company has plans to generate 300 MW more by this year end. Similarly, Enercon has already started generating 126 MW out of its total 1,000 MW project, and it plans to produce 200 MW more by December. Another private firm that had signed an MoU for the 500 MW project is producing 24 MW of wind energy, and has mooted a plan to add 100 MW more by this year end.
The Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA), which is the nodal agency for the implementation of the new Wind Power Policy, has set a target of about 4,000 MW of wind power generation during the five-year operative period of the policy that expires in 2012. The Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL), a State-owned PSU, has also plunged into the wind energy sector, and has envisaged plans to produce 24 MW by this year end.
When contacted, Director (GEDA) J M Acharya told Express Newsline on Tuesday that private companies had installed their WTGs on wind farms mainly located in the coastal districts of Jamnagar, Kutch, Rajkot and Bhavnagar, with the highest wind power generation being reported, till now, from Jamnagar (311.37 MW), followed by Kutch (190.55 MW), Rajkot (53.19 MW) and Bhavnagar (13.20 MW). As the wind electricity generation reaches 1,192 MW by this year end, there would be a total investment of over Rs 5,300 crore in this sector, he said.
“With the new policy promising more incentives, including the power purchase rates being raised from Rs 2.60 per unit to Rs 3.37 per unit, we expect more and more private firms to set up their wind energy mills in Gujarat in near future”, says Acharya. He agrees that the neighbouring Maharashtra offers higher power purchase rates — Rs 3.50 per unit, with five paise escalation per annum for 13 years.
He said a government resolution (GR) was already issued bringing the State’s new Wind Power Policy into force from June 20, and WTGs installed and commissioned during the five-year operative period will be eligible for the incentives under the policy for a period of 20 years from the date of commissioning. The wheeling of electricity generated from the WTGs will be allowed at a wheeling charge of 4 per cent of the energy fed to the grid as per the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) order.
Under the policy, except in case of third party sale of wind electricity, the electricity generated from the WTGs will be exempted from payment of electricity duty. The sale of electricity other than to GUVNL and/or any distibution licensee in the State will be considered as the third party sale of electricity. Second hand WTGs will not be eligible for installation under this policy, and only those WTGs that are approved by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy or by recognised international test houses will be eligible.
The electricity generated from the WTGs will be metered on a monthly basis, jointly by GEDA and GETCO at the sending sub-station of 66 KV or above located at wind farm site. Under the new policy, the supervision charges being paid to GETCO at 15 per cent of the cost of power evacuation has been reduced to 7.5 per cent.
Courtesy : Expressindia.com
Since 1993 when it was decided to harness the wind energy in coastal parts of the State, a total of only 568 MW of wind power had been recorded till March 2007. Now that the private companies have started implementing their respective wind power generation projects signed during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit, the generation is expected to reach about 1,192 MW, with 624 MW of wind energy to be added to the present installed capacity.
Suzlon that had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a 1,000 MW project has already set up WTGs on its wind farm generating 226 MW of electricity, while the company has plans to generate 300 MW more by this year end. Similarly, Enercon has already started generating 126 MW out of its total 1,000 MW project, and it plans to produce 200 MW more by December. Another private firm that had signed an MoU for the 500 MW project is producing 24 MW of wind energy, and has mooted a plan to add 100 MW more by this year end.
The Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA), which is the nodal agency for the implementation of the new Wind Power Policy, has set a target of about 4,000 MW of wind power generation during the five-year operative period of the policy that expires in 2012. The Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (GACL), a State-owned PSU, has also plunged into the wind energy sector, and has envisaged plans to produce 24 MW by this year end.
When contacted, Director (GEDA) J M Acharya told Express Newsline on Tuesday that private companies had installed their WTGs on wind farms mainly located in the coastal districts of Jamnagar, Kutch, Rajkot and Bhavnagar, with the highest wind power generation being reported, till now, from Jamnagar (311.37 MW), followed by Kutch (190.55 MW), Rajkot (53.19 MW) and Bhavnagar (13.20 MW). As the wind electricity generation reaches 1,192 MW by this year end, there would be a total investment of over Rs 5,300 crore in this sector, he said.
“With the new policy promising more incentives, including the power purchase rates being raised from Rs 2.60 per unit to Rs 3.37 per unit, we expect more and more private firms to set up their wind energy mills in Gujarat in near future”, says Acharya. He agrees that the neighbouring Maharashtra offers higher power purchase rates — Rs 3.50 per unit, with five paise escalation per annum for 13 years.
He said a government resolution (GR) was already issued bringing the State’s new Wind Power Policy into force from June 20, and WTGs installed and commissioned during the five-year operative period will be eligible for the incentives under the policy for a period of 20 years from the date of commissioning. The wheeling of electricity generated from the WTGs will be allowed at a wheeling charge of 4 per cent of the energy fed to the grid as per the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) order.
Under the policy, except in case of third party sale of wind electricity, the electricity generated from the WTGs will be exempted from payment of electricity duty. The sale of electricity other than to GUVNL and/or any distibution licensee in the State will be considered as the third party sale of electricity. Second hand WTGs will not be eligible for installation under this policy, and only those WTGs that are approved by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy or by recognised international test houses will be eligible.
The electricity generated from the WTGs will be metered on a monthly basis, jointly by GEDA and GETCO at the sending sub-station of 66 KV or above located at wind farm site. Under the new policy, the supervision charges being paid to GETCO at 15 per cent of the cost of power evacuation has been reduced to 7.5 per cent.
Courtesy : Expressindia.com