Fast growing to be a composite power player, SJVN – the Mini Ratna public sector power company, has spread out to arrest alternate sources of energy by commissioning the Khirvire Wind Energy Plant.
Spread out over 51.3 hectares of a windswept area in Khirvire and Kombhalne village of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra, the plant is regularly generating clean and green energy. The Khirvire Wind Power Plant, a zero emission power project, supplies electricity into the Maharashtra Grid.
This wind energy farm is estimated to help in reducing a carbon emission footprint by 82,073 tons of CO2 equivalent, annually. Along with CO2, the project has zero CH4 (methane) and N2O (nitrous oxide) emissions. The Greenfield project with no activity on the site after implementation qualifies the wind energy plant for being a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Project. As a CDM plant, this business vertical of the profit making SJVN, in time will enable the company to tap and trade in the international carbon markets, something that strengthens the viability of the venture. By using an inexhaustible source of energy for electricity generation, the Khirvire wind plant is making its contribution towards conserving the nations resources.
This wind plant, where it reduces the dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation would also help the country in achieving a desirable share of having a 15 % mix as renewable energy in the total pool of electricity generated in the country by 2020.
With a generating capacity of 47.6 MW, the Khirvire Wind Power Plant makes use of 56 wind powered turbines to generate about 85.65 million units (MU) of power annually. Each turbine has the capacity to generate 850 kV of energy. The wind turbines make use of wind speeds to generate clean electricity which is supplied to the newly commissioned “All India Synchronized National Grid”. The electricity generated at the wind energy farm is being pooled at the Akole Grid Sub-station through a 132 KV transmission line.
The project was executed on a turnkey basis where the contract for setting up the energy farm was awarded on 14th December 2012 and the completed plant was commissioned on 20th May, 2014.
SJVN raised no public funding or sought any loans from any organization for investing in this project. All funds needed for executing the wind energy plant were met from the internal sources of the company.
Wind farms offer a cost effective solution at sites where wind blows consistently and higher speed say 8metres/sec.each MW capacity requires over one hectare of land,roads and bridges to transport nacelles and blades.Roads and bridges limit the size of turbines.
Floating wind farms at sea ,can support four times larger turbines and much taller towers over 120metres and higher productivity shorter pay back time than even much touted nuclear at lower cost.
A technology similar to offshore oil and gas exploration ,opportunities for shipyards,shipping companies ,jobs, must be evaluated in floating wind farms to conserve land for food shelter ,manufacturing,education and recreation.
Wind resource at sea in waters around us must be evaluated for a far sighted approach ,now that contribution of wind energy has been accepted.
R Whig