Better policy could boost wind power sector

Chennai: There should be a stable and uniform national policy to make wind power projects financially attractive, a top industry official said here on Tuesday.

"China has overtaken India to the fourth position in the world in terms of installed wind power capacity. There is a negative growth in wind energy projects this fiscal as compared to fiscal 2006-07," the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) Chairman DV Giri said.

Addressing Wind India 2008, a conference-cum-exhibition on wind power organised by World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE) here on Tuesday, he said the wind power capacity addition will be around 1,545 MW in India this fiscal, reports IANS.

"Repowering or installing high-powered wind turbines in the place of old, lower capacity machines, intercropping of small wind mills amongst bigger machines, development of offshore wind farms and development of hybrid turbines are some of the important needs of the industry," Giri said.

According to UK-based Garrad Hassan and Partners CEO Andrew Garrad, India needs better wind forecasting techniques so that predictability of the wind power generation is better.

"Short term—hourly and daily basis—forecasting is important for the success of this sector," Garrad said.

Proper estimates of wind potential and speed will enable investors in choosing appropriate turbine size so as to get optimum return on investment.

"Hybrids and better wind power forecasting would address the one major complaint about wind power, that is intermittent power," Suzlon Energy Vice-president Chintan Shah said.

With 18 more wind turbine manufacturers to start rolling out their turbines in India over the next one and half years, WISE Director General GM Pillai said, "By 2010 the total wind turbine production capacity in India will be 10,000 MW. We have to look for overseas markets for the turbines."