Chennai: has mooted repowering of old wind energy generators with higher capacity and modern equipment. As had taken major strides in wind energy generation quite earlier than other states, some of the mills are as old as 33 years and many are below 1MW capacity. Now, technology provides scope for installing wind turbines with a capacity of 1MW or more. The discom has asked companies to come forward with proposals to rejig the mills on or before April 30. Along with upgradation of windmills, Tangedco will also go for capacity addition of sub-stations. “Wind power generation started in Tamil Nadu in 1986 with machines having capacity of 200KW, 225KW and 250KW. These machines have served their utility and many are still running,” said a senior Tangedco official. Most of the wind mills at present are generating power at a tariff of Rs 2.75 and Rs 2.90 per unit. “Due to technological advancement, new-generation machines are available in capacities like 750KW, 850KW, 1500KW, 2000KW and 2100KW. Earlier, wind power companies were mandated to maintain higher spacing. For repowering, this has been relaxed based on MNRE guidelines,” said the official. The objective of the repowering policy is to promote optimum utilisation of wind energy resources by creating facilitative framework for repowering. All wind turbine generators would be eligible for repowering under the policy, he said. But not all wind power companies are ready to repower their wind mills as they feel there are hurdles in the repowering policy. “All the old wind mills can bank their power generation during wind power season and sell it later. But for all the new wind power projects, Tangedco has refused to provide banking of wind power,” said Indian Wind Power Association president K Kasturirangaiyan. He said Tangedco is also delaying payment to wind power generating firms. “At times, there is 20-month-delay in payments. There is no banking for new projects and why would any old wind power company come forward to repower their wind mills,” asked Kasturirangaiyan. Tamil Nadu has around 8500MW of installed wind power generation capacity and out of this nearly 2000MW are very old and can be repowered. “In the 1980s when the wind power policy was implemented, only Tamil Nadu and Gujarat came forward to set up wind mills and since then old machines are generating power in these two states,” he said.
India’s Tangedco has requested submissions to repower old wind energy generators in Tamil Nadu. As 8.5 of the early adopters of wind power, the state’s wind farms were commissi8.5d up to 33 years ago, some with sub-1 MW capacity. The state now wants these aged sites to be upgraded with modern equipment and additional capacities. Of the state's one GW installed wind generators, 2 GW are suitable for repowering. Some companies are resisting as old wind projects can bank power generation to sell later, which is prohibited for newer projects.