Indian wind energy leader Suzlon Energy Limited will build 102.3 megawatts’ worth of wind power capacity through four orders from different local business groups this July.
The orders to build, run and maintain wind power projects came from large Indian conglomerates involved in mostly in non-energy businesses activities but which are intent to add wind to their portfolio.
The companies are Baidyanath, which leads the country’s local health care industry; measles vaccine maker Serum Institute of India; tobacco company Malpani; and Hindustan Petroleum.
The companies tapped Suzlon to build wind power installations for them with 19.2 MW, 37.8 MW, 19.8 MW and 25.5 MW of capacity, respectively.
Most of the wind farms are scheduled for completion in 2011 and most will be installed in the state of Maharashtra in Western India, where Suzlon is based.
Among the companies, Malpani had previously installed 46.85 MW of wind power across the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan. Baidyanath has 7.5 in existing portfolio and intends to register the project under the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism.
Hindustan Petroleum will shore up its total wind power to 50 MW when the Suzlon wind project is completed in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan.
Pune-based Suzlon (BOM:
532667
) has cornered 50 percent of the Indian market share for 12 straight years and has installed over 5,000 MW of wind capacity in the country.
Based on assessments by different groups, India has about 45,000 MW to 100,000 MW of wind energy potential. The World Institute for Sustainable Energy said India can reach the upper limit of that estimate by using larger turbines and making land available to expand resource exploitation. The height of the turbines will also be a factor.
Indian regions holding huge potential for wind development include Tamil Nadu, which has the most wind power installed and is home to 42 percent of India’s total wind capacity as of March 2009 at 4.3 GW. Maharashtra comes next with 1,942 MW, Gujarat with 1,566 MW and Karnataka with 1,340 MW.
India added 7,926 MW of wind capacity in the last five years. It increased this to 9.6 GW in 2008 and 10.9 GW in 2009. India is expected to add at least 2,200 MW of new wind power capacity by 2010 to 2011.