Industry & Economy
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SSI
Tiruchi fabrication units get windmill orders
Our Correspondent
Madurai
,
Feb. 25
THE fabrication units in and around Tiruchi, especially the heavy engineering units, appear to have found a new market with flowing orders for windmill components.
About 350 units have been under pressure to shed their dependence on Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and become independent product manufacturers, for some years now.
During the year, a few of these units have bagged orders for conversion of about 35,000 tonnes of windmill components, the cost working out to Rs 30 crore.
The total value of the manufactured components is estimated to be in the order of Rs 260 crore and buyers themselves are supplying the materials.
The orders are largely from Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari and Coimbatore districts and Gujarat.
The orders for windmill towers and bed frames are on the increase, it is said.
According to the President of BHEL Small-Scale Industries Association, Mr Rajappa Rajkumar, "the development is a good augury for the fabrication units in Tiruchi''.
During late 1990s when a few of these units ventured into this area of windmill components, they had sustained heavy losses.
However, orders are stated to be flowing in from 2003 onwards.
The expectations are that these are likely to double during the next financial year and cross one lakh tonne.
The country's wind power generation potential is estimated to be around 45,000 MW.
However, only around 3,000 MW is being tapped at present.
About 23 places have been identified as suitable for setting up windmills in the State.
Other States have started showing interest in tapping this energy source.
As such the orders are bound to shoot up in the next few years, the sources added.
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