Growing
concern for the environmental degradation has
led to the world's interest in renewable energy
resources. Wind is commercially and
operationally the most viable renewable energy
resource and accordingly, emerging as one of the
largest source in terms of the renewable energy
sector.
Wind Energy will witness abundant
opportunities in the developing economies, such
as India, where the power supply situation and
infrastructure development efforts provide a
huge market for active investment.
Fossil
Fuels
Wind
Availability
Have to be
procured and made usable through
laborious and environmentally
damaging processes.
Usable as
it exists.
Limitation
on availability
Limited in
reserves, expected to get
completely exhausted in the
coming 60 years.
Inexhaustible resourse.
Transportation
Have to be
transported from the site for
further processing exposing
environment to danger.
Used where
it is available.
Use in
production
Used in
producing electricity releasing
green house gasses.
Zero
emission.
Geo-political Implications
Over-reliance on oil as a
resource has undermined our
energy security. E.g. OPEC
crises of 1973, Gulf War of 1991
and Iraq War of 2003.
Reduces
our reliance on oil,
safeguarding national security.
The
Wind power programme in India was initiated
towards the end of the Sixth Plan, in 1983-84. A
market-oriented strategy was adopted from
inception, which has led to the successful
commercial development of the technology.
The broad based National programme includes
wind resource assessment activities research and
development support implementation of
demonstration projects to create awareness and
opening up of new sites involvement of utilities
and industry development of infrastructure
capability and capacity for manufacture,
installation, operation and maintenance of wind
electric generators and policy support.
The programme aims at catalyzing
commercialization of wind power generation in
the country. India is among the top five
countries in Wind Power Installations.
Year
Installed Capacity
1992
41.3
1993
54
1994
113
1995
35.6
1996
732.7
1997
901.8
1998
968.6
1999
1024.5
2000
1167.4
2001
1339.9
2002
1628.3
2003
1869.6
2004
2483*
Source : MNES (Installed capacity in MW)
Source : MNES
(Installed capacity in MW)
INDIAN WIND POTENTIAL
1. Eight states have commercially
feasible wind potential.
2. Mapped Potential at 50 mtrs. hub
height - 45,000 MW.
3. Installed as on March 2004- 2483 MW,
hence huge untapped potentail exists.
4. Govt. of India has proposed capacity
Installation of 10,000 - 12,000 MW of
renewable energy sources over next 10
years.
5. Ministry of Non-conventional Energy
Sources, Government of India plans to
generate 50% of above from wind energy
translating into annual additions of
5000 - 6000 MW.
* Figure may vary as a result of new
installations all over India.
Wind in India are influenced by the strong
south-west summer monsoon, which starts in
May-June, when cool, humid air moves towards the
land and the weaker north-east winter monsoon,
which starts in October, when cool, dry sir
moves towards the ocean.
During the period march to August, the winds are
uniformly strong over the whole Indian
Peninsula, except the eastern peninsular coast.
Wind speeds during the period November to march
are relatively weak, though higher winds are
available during a part of the period on the
Tamil Nadu coastline.
A notable feature of the Indian programme has
been the interest among private
investors/developers in setting up of commercial
wind power projects.
The
macro-scale atmospheric flow of wind in tropical
India is determined strongly by the strength of
the monsoon winds. The monsoon period in India
can be categorized into two.
South-West monsoon.
North-East monsoon.
The South-West monsoon begins in the month of
April and is formulated in the Indian ocean
which later gradually moves in the North-East
direction and first hits the state of Kerala by
the second half of May. Wind gradually gains
strength over the months and peaks during the
month of July. During this period surface wind
speeds exceeding 20-30 kmph are found over
Western India, Southern Tamil Nadu, Saurashtra,
Kutch regions and coastal Bengal.
Strong upper winds (150m above ground) are
observed in the forenoons over the interior
Peninsula, Western Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and
Saurashtra during the peak monsoon period.
The monsoon begins in the month of April and
is formulated in the Indian ocean which later
gradually moves in the North-East direction and
first hits the state of Kerala by the second
half of May. Wind later gains strength over the
months and peaks during July.
From September the wind generally weakens
over areas like Saurashtra, Kutch and Southern
Tamil Nadu experiencing winds of over 15 kmph.
This is the effect of large scale air-flow
during South-West monsoon period. During the
winter months, the large scale air-flow reverses
i.e, moves from the Himalayan belts towards the
Indian ocean which is called as the North-East
monsoon. Wind speeds over 10 kmph are
experienced during this period in Orissa,
Saurashtra, Kutch and Southern Tamil Nadu
Growing
concern for the environmental degradation has
led to the world's interest in renewable energy
resources. Wind is commercially and
operationally the most viable renewable energy
resource and accordingly, emerging as one of the
largest source in terms of the renewable energy
sector.
The
Wind power programme in India was initiated
towards the end of the Sixth Plan, in 1983-84. A
market-oriented strategy was adopted from
inception, which has led to the successful
commercial development of the technology.
The
macro-scale atmospheric flow of wind in tropical
India is determined strongly by the strength of
the monsoon winds. The monsoon period in India
can be categorized into two.
