Wind power accounts for 6% of India’s total installed capacity in the power sector. 1.6% of the electricity generated in India comes from Wind energy. India entered the Wind based power generation late as compared to a lot of other developed countries. However, the combination of strong domestic policies as well as the global rise of a few domestic players has led India to grow to 5th position in the world in terms of wind power installations with an annual capacity of 8896 MW. The promotion of Wind power in India is mainly done by the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturer Associations (IWTMA).
More than half of electricity generated in India by wind power happens in Tamil Nadu. In fact Asia’s largest Wind Farm is present near Mundappal farm in Tamil Nadu. This village has been selected as the showcase for India’s $2 billion clean energy program for the power sector. Tax breaks for domestic and global players to invest in clean energy have led to a large rise in installations nation wise. Maharashtra and Gujarat too have a strong wind power installation. Suzlon has been heavily involved in setting up Wind farms in Maharashtra and holding more than 50% market share in India. In fact Suzlon has emerged as a global player, capturing 8% share in the global wind turbine market.
Advantages of Wind based Power
- Clean Renewable energy
- Availability of wind unaffected by climate or politics
- Continuous generation possible
- Low maintenance
- No emissions
Barriers of Wind based Power
- Initial cost higher than traditional fossil fuel based plants
- Noise pollution caused by turbines
- Disruption of television/radio signals
- Avain death due to turbines
- Not all wind is utilized
- Large amount of space is required which is not possible near urban centers
Till date the focus has been more on installations rather than operation. This is the reason why only 1.6% electricity generated in India is produced by wind power, despite having 6% installation in terms of capacity. However the government impetus to target 10,500 MW between 2007-12 makes things appear promising.
For a detailed report on electricity in India please refer to:
http://www.india-reports.com/summary/electricity_in_india.aspx
 |
Read articles on Electricity in India:
A General Summary on Electricity in India
The Consumers of Electricity in India: Industrial, Agriculture and Domestic
Related Posts
- Electricity in India – Gas Based Power Generation in India
- Electricity in India – Coal Based Power Generation in India
- PowerPoint Slide on World Electricity Generation by Renewable Sources
- Electricity in India – Hydro-electric Power Plants in India
- PowerPoint Slide on World Electricity Generation by Fuel
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
very good information
Wind energy is clean and Eco friendly.
- However, if greedy real estate companies acquire land by unfair means, for rapid expansion of the wind farms, then it may lead to – a) environmental issues – (i) encroachment on tribal lands, (ii)) affecting biosphere & (iii) reserve forests (especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu , and b) public agitation what is visible in Singrur and Greater Noida.
- Presently the benefits of the wind energy generated are mainly wasted in India due to poor evacuation and obsolete infrastructure available which needs to be up dated at an accelerated speed before we allow further spreading of wind farms.
Jag Prakash Dar