Lalit Anjum
In response to the article “Power Crisis-Scope of Wind Power in J&K” by Nater Singh, published in Daily Excelsior, Oct. 08 2013; I would like to convey my regards to the author for bringing into limelight the wind energy as the renewable energy option for power generation in J&K when state is reeling under energy crisis. However the article is full of anomalies and data given in the article is old and not updated which misdirects the sincere readers of Daily Excelsior and may adversely impact the public policy. Further article content doesn’t justify the title as far as J&K is concerned.
Firstly, author has given present wind energy installed capacity as 1167MW which in fact stands about 18421MW in the wind turbine installations throughout the country. Thus making India stands fifth among the countries with largest wind turbine installation capacity. The potential for grid interactive wind power generation in India is estimated at about 48,500 MW considering sites with wind power density greater than 200W/m2 at 50m hub-height with 1% land availability in potential areas for setting up wind farms at 12ha/MW. As per the “Strategic plan for new and renewable energy sector for the period 2011-17” (MNRE, 2011), of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy [MNRE], Government of India plans to enhance the net on-grid installation capacity of wind turbines to 2400MW in first year and 2200MW in subsequent years to achieve the cumulative target of 27300MW installation capacity by 2017. The MNRE has announced a revised estimation of the potential wind resource in India from 49,130MW assessed at 50m hub heights to 1,02,788MW assessed at 80m hub height (MNRE, 2011).
Secondly, author has discredited Mani and Mooley (Mani, A. and Mooley, D.A., 1983) far as pioneering efforts on wind resources of India is concerned. Instead of only 200 locations as per the author, as on date 30.09.2011 the Centre of Wind Energy Technology (C-WET), Chennai, has set up 233 wind monitoring stations in 14 states covering the entire country including 19 stations in J&K of which 11 are in Ladakh, four in Baramula, one each in Gandarbal, Poonch, Reasi and Udhampur. The sites with annual Wind Power Density greater than or equal to 200W/m2 at 50m above ground level have been taken as the potential sites for wind power development on commercial scale. The wind data has been published in the Indian Wind Atlas by C-WET, with mean wind velocity and mean power density maps of different regions of the India at 50m and 80m heights above ground level (Sreevalsan et al., 2009).
Thirdly, the author has mistakenly used the old name of the Union Ministry dealing with the renewable energy development in India as the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (estd. in 1992) now rechristened as MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY from October 2006.
Further, wind energy development in India has witnessed a sudden rise in 1990s with the government supported financial tools viz, Generation Based Incentives (GBI) and Accelerated Depreciation on wind energy infrastructure. However due to union budgetary constraints and under performance of Wind Power Projects, these financial tools were discontinued from early 2011 resulting slowdown in the annual capacity addition.
Moreover, Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) under Department of Science and Technology has been given the mandate for renewable energy development in J&K which has underperformed at each and every stage. JAKEDA has only remained as the intermediary and no efforts were done to utilise the existing wind potential in J&K. In early 2011 National Hydro-Power Corporation (NHPC) awarded contract to C-WET for assessment of wind potential in J&K, which in turn came up with a proposal to set up 50MW wind farm near Bidda, Reasi in the territory of NHPC’s Salal Power Project in J&K. In the same year, it was also announced to build wind farm by the present J&K state government when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited Reasi, reducing it to a pilot project of 8MW. However, this project was caught in the conflict between J&K Government and NHPC as fight for the ownership rights for Salal Hydro-Power Project in Reasi reached its height. As NHPC land was involved in the Wind farm development which in turn delayed its execution. With reference to Right to Information (RTI) reply given by MNRE and JAKEDA in RTI No.71/91/2009-WE, dated 25.09.2012 and RTI No.ST/EDA/RTI-Act/09/2012/3180, dated 12.10.2012 respectively, it is evident that the development of this wind farm has halted before taking any flight further.
In conclusion, I appreciate the author’s efforts in bringing into focus the wind energy development in J&K and concur with the fact that wind energy has the potential to change the power scenario in J&K. However at present situation is very bleak and policy improvisation, public awareness and mass participation is need of an hour.
(The author is Independent Researcher NIT Hamirpur H.P.)
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