Wind energy generation has picked up in Tamil Nadu over the last few days, as the State has had its peak windy days. However, the generation can go up further, say wind energy producers.
“The winds are good. This is one of the best years. There are instances when the mills had to be shut down because of very high winds. But several wind mills are stopped, stalling evacuation of wind energy without any reason,” says one of the wind energy producers here. In the years when the winds were this high, the State had seen wind energy consumption go up to 100 million units a day. Now, it does not cross 80 million units, he said.
With an installed wind energy capacity of nearly 8,500 MW, wind energy consumption on June 1 this year was 27 million units and it increased to 79 million units on August 6.
Last year, the installed capacity was 8,468 MW in the State and wind energy consumption on August 6 was 65 million units and on June 1, it was 40 million units.
Wind energy generation is high in the southern and western districts in Tamil Nadu. Additions to installed capacity have been low for the last three to four years, with just about 100 MW to 200 MW added every year, said K. Kasthurirangaian, president of Indian Wind Power Association.
Captive consumption of wind energy is not high this year because migrant workers at industries have gone home. But the wind energy producers continue to support the government with forecasts so that wind energy generation can improve, he added.
Sources in the industry said the scope for evacuation is high across the wind energy-producing districts. The Indian grid code says that wind mills must be given “must run” status. Yet, wind mills are shut down. The government and the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation should take steps to increase the generation and should not shut down wind mills, the sources said.