Wind Industry Calls for Energy Law

This is the view of the Indian Wind turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA), who have called for 10 per cent of the country's energy to come from a renewable source.

The association wants to see a generation-based incentive of 50p per unit without any cap or a generation ceiling of 5,000 mw, hassle-free availability of land, a national survey of wind power potential and permitted intercropping of high-capacity modern wind turbines by the side of the smaller turbines.

At present, according to a report in the Financial Express, the Indian wind power industry is driven mainly by the private and is on the threshold of a major expansion in turbine manufacturing and installation of power generation capacity with the entry of new players and substantial foreign direct investment.

With an installed capacity of 8,748 mw, it is the fourth largest in the world, next to Spain, Germany, and the US.

With supportive government polices, the generation capacity could be doubled from the current annual average of 1,500 mw to 3,000 mw, DV Giri, chairman of Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) told FE.

The combined wind turbine manufacturing capacity of 2,500 mw a year by the nine IWTMA members now would be scaled up to 4,000 mw a year with the entry of new players, who have firmed up manufacturing plans, he added.

IWTMA said that a large contingent of global wind farm developing companies are waiting in the wings to begin wind power generation as independent power producers and pumping in substantial foreign direct investment.

A national renewable energy law with renewable purchase obligation (RPO) would be a major tool in the hands of the government to promote renewable energy generation, Mr Giri said in the article.

According to the information given by the minister of State for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Vilas Muttemwar, in the Rajya Sabha, between June 2004 and February 2008, 12 State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERC) have fixed annual RPO ranging from two per cent to 10 per cent.

IWTMA suggests that states with inadequate renewable energy generation capacity should be allowed to purchase it from states with a surplus to meet their obligation. Similarly, utilities should be allowed to collect a surcharge for green power from the consumers.

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