Renewables News

India's wind power generation rises to 5,340 MW

Jul 25, 2006, 14:11 GMT

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS) India's wind power generation has witnessed a jump of over 48 percent from 3,595 MW in 2004-05 to 5,340 MW in 2005-06, Minister of State for Non-Conventional Energy Sources Vilas Muttemwar said Tuesday.

Of the total 5,340 MW installed generation capacity in the country, Tamil Nadu accounts for more than half, the minister said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

Tamil Nadu clearly leads with 2,893 MW wind power generation capacity followed by Maharashtra at 1,001 MW, the minister told the upper house of parliament. Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh are among the states that have encouraged this environment-friendly method of power generation.

The minister said that the government was encouraging setting up of wind power projects in all potential states by providing several incentives.

These include concessional import duty on certain components of wind electric generators, excise duty exemption, 10 years' tax holiday on income generated from wind power projects, benefits of accelerated depreciation and loan from the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and other financial institutions.

'Wind power is being given preferential tariff in potential states. Continuous efforts are underway to identify new wind power potential areas through wind resource assessment studies by the Centre for Wind Energy Technology, Chennai,' the minister said.

The potential of wind power generation in the country is estimated at around 48,000 MW.

© 2006 Indo-Asian News Service