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Windmill energy farms may just stave off the energy crunch.
Maharashtra's search for alternative energy sources is likely to lead the windmill energy farm at Satara into the Guinness Book of World Records. An astounding 600 windmills have been installed on a plateau 3,000 feet above sea level! India stands fifth in wind energy commissioning after the USA, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, targeting 1,340 MW. Maharashtra heads india's thrust into the area of wind energy production, followed by Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra set up MEDA (Maharashtra Energy Development Agency) in 1986 to promote non-conventional and renewable sources of energy, its programmes supported through subsidies and fiscal incentives. The organisation's projects are concerned with the demonstration and promotion of non-conventional energy sources in the state. The state's efforts got off to a flying start when, on June 1, 2001, Maharashtra won the first prize for wind power development programmes in 1999-2000. P S Salunkhe, general manager, MEDA, reports that the first wind energy farm in Maharashtra was established in 1994 as a demonstration project in Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg district. Six windmills, of 250 KW capacity each, were set up. The minimum efficiency -- ie actual generation/theoretical generation -- of a wind farm should be 12 per cent. The demonstration project at Vijaydurg is already projecting 15 per cent efficiency. The second demonstration project in the state was set up in 1996 at Chalkewadi near Thoseghar, Satara district. Eight windmills were set up, each of 250 KW capacity. After the success of the demonstration project a policy was formulated and declared for the private sector by the Maharashtra government. The policy allows the private sector to use windmills to generate electricity for their own use and also offers the right to sell electricity to a third party. Maharashtra's first windmill machine was set up in 1998 by Borax Morarjee (Mumbai). Subsequently, Tata Finance, Bajaj Auto and Bharat Forge have invested around Rs 5 crores in alternative energy projects. In addition, under the private sector an independent project to generate 186 MW of electricity has also been commissioned. Of this, 150 MW will be commissioned in the Thoseghar-Chalkewadi-Vankusore area for which a plateau site of 10,000 acres has been identified. At Vijaydurg and Satara, adds Salunkhe, low voltage problems have been taken care of thanks to windmill energy generation. In addition, the wind farms at Satara have generated jobs for 4,000-5,000 personnel. Technical staff supervise machine maintenance and are supported by the necessary unskilled labour. Maharashtra has so far identified 27 feasible sites for wind energy farms. Projects have been set up on four sites. Installations are on at two sites and work is expected to begin soon on six other sites in Gude Pachgani, Warekarvadi, Dhalgaon and Matrewadi. Contact: Maharashtra Energy Development Agency
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