Amended wind mill repowering policy gives scope for repowering 2,000 MW of wind mills

Of the wholly installed upwind vigor capableness of much than 10,000 MW, determination is scope for astir 2,000 MW to spell for repowering due to the fact that of the amended upwind vigor repowering argumentation announced by the Tamil Nadu authorities past week.

A.D. Thirumoorthy, Chief Technical Advisor of the Indian Wind Power Association, told The Hindu on Thursday that the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has assessed that Tamil Nadu has upwind mills of astir 4,000 MW that tin beryllium repowered. The amended argumentation meets astir of the demands of the upwind vigor generators, particularly banking of the vigor generated. However, determination are 2 challenges for the generators - the argumentation does not licence accommodation of the banked vigor for powerfulness consumed astatine nighttime hours. And, aggregation of the upwind mills that request to beryllium repowered volition beryllium difficult.

Most of the upwind vigor generators person invested successful star vigor too. If the banked upwind vigor is not permitted for accommodation astatine nighttime hours, the aforesaid whitethorn beryllium repeated for star vigor too.

Further, not each upwind vigor generators person the upwind turbines astatine the aforesaid location. If a 250 KW turbine should beryllium replaced with a 1 MW turbine, it should lucifer the capableness of the adjacent upwind turbine. This whitethorn beryllium an contented to galore generators. The upwind mill owners may, instead, opt for beingness extension, helium said.

According to the Southern India Mills’ Association, galore of the upwind mills of the textile manufacture successful the State are presently much than 20 years old. Durai Palanisamy, chairman, SIMA, said retention of the yearly banking system, simplification successful Infrastructure Development Charges from the earlier connection of ₹30 lakh per MW for 5 years to ₹50,000 per MW/annum for beingness extension/refurbishment and simplification of procedures for obtaining beingness hold certificates from Chartered Engineers are immoderate of the industry-friendly measures.

Pradeep Natarajan, erstwhile president of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Consumers Association, said the amended argumentation introduces flexibility, reduces fiscal burden, and simplifies compliance portion encouraging modernisation of aging upwind assets successful the State. The rationalisation of improvement charges and show thresholds is simply a affirmative measurement towards sustainable capableness enhancement successful Tamil Nadu’s upwind sector.