Wind energy has been identified as a
potential response to India’s crucial power challenges since the 1990s.
After a good 25 years, we still await the full potential of this
renewable source of power to be realised. Currently generating just over
28 GW, the wind power sector has undergone a major shift in India. From
being an investment that provides tax credits to mainstream Independent
Power Producers (IPPs), the sector still leaves much more avenues to be
explored.
The current scenario
The union budget of 2015 saw the
government quadrupling the target of renewable energy to 175 GW by
2022—split between 100 GW solar, 60 GW wind, 10 GW biomass and 5 GW
small-hydro power. With renewable energy becoming a major focus of the
government, policymakers, along with field experts, are increasingly
waking up and taking stock of the true potential of wind power. Wind
farms are being set up with the latest technology, large-scale MW-class
wind turbines, inclusive operation and maintenance practices for
sustainable plant life, logistics tools for construction, while
maintaining seamless grid integration.
The new draft of the renewable energy
law that was tendered last year puts forward institutional support
that’s required to achieve renewable energy goals. The National
Renewable Energy Committee, the National Renewable Energy Advisory
Group, and the Renewable Energy Corporation of India are all examples of
this support. A plan is also in place to build supporting ecosystems
that include resource assessment, testing facilities and monitoring and
verification programs. Policies are also in place to boost local
manufacturing.
Opportunities and challenges
While the 2022 energy targets look well within reach, any delays and setbacks could be detrimental.
The Indian Wind Energy Association has
estimated that with the current level of technology, the “on-shore”
potential for utilising wind energy to generate electricity is pegged at
102 GW. The nature of this unexploited resource’s availability presents
a potential that can be sustained to grow the wind-energy sector in the
country for many years in the future. The Ministry of New &
Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also pledged to achieve 60 GW of wind energy
capacity by 2022. Eight wind turbine manufacturers also committed
themselves to manufacture over 36 GW of wind turbines in the same
period.
As of today, wind is at parity with
other forms of power and old perceptions such as “renewables are
expensive” or “unreliable” need to be updated as per current technology
norms. The industry has gained from improvements in drive-train
technology, tower structure and use of advanced power electronics, all
of which add to the cost-effectiveness of wind power generation.
Adopting technology and manufacturing in India will also help bring
costs down further, while reducing debt costs.
Room for growth
As the sector gets more competitive,
companies need to innovate constantly to stay on top of their game,
while working continuously to be an attractive bet for investors,
customers, employees, be recognized by the larger Indian community, and
be respected among key influencer constituents such as the media and
policymakers.
The focus of the industry must remain on
leveraging a skilled workforce, continued technology development, a
robust transmission setup and consistent investments for on-time
commissioning of projects. Demand drivers for the wind-energy sector
remain favourable in the long run, supported by strong policy support
from the government, both at the centre and in key states, a favourable
regulatory framework in the form of RPO (renewable purchase obligation)
regulations, and an overall cost competitiveness of wind-based energy
compared to conventional energy sources.
Hub heights and rotor diameter of wind
projects have increased substantially in the last two decades, while the
average Wind Turbine Rating (WTG) rating increased by almost ten-fold.
Boosting the level of energy generated per turbine, this also reduces
the overall cost of electricity. However, the top-end rotor and hub
height installed for WTGs in India still has room for improvement.
With the use of lightweight materials
such as carbon-fibre, better aerodynamic profiles, on-site
manufacturing, segmented blades and variable diameter rotors, costs are
expected to come down, while pushing the capacity factor. A U.S.
Department of Education study suggests that adoption of advanced
technologies can increase energy output to the tune of up to 61% with
small changes in capital cost between 36-21%.
India needs to shift to non-polluting,
renewable sources of energy. While the demand for electricity is
expected to go up, there’s an economic as well as environmental reason
why we must make this shift. Solar and wind energy represent a bright
spot for India’s economic future. A renewable energy-powered future. We
are on the cusp of this future and no other renewable energy source has
attained the level of maturity that wind power has. This power, if used
to its full potential, can take India’s growth to unchartered shores.
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