The Hindu Business Line : Suzlon awaits feasibility study to enter bio-fuel business

Vacant land available at wind farms would be used for growing feedstock for bio-diesel and putting up solar panels with a capacity ranging from 10 MW to 20 MW.

Talking to Business Line, Mr Tulsi Tanti, Chairman and Managing Director of the company, said that all India agro-studies for biofuels are under way.

The company is surveying soil and water conditions for the crops. Collecting data and meeting experts in agriculture universities is also under way, Mr Tanti said.

R&D in wind power

Mr Tanti said that Suzlon would invest $1 billion over next five years for R&D.

The research would be focused on reducing capital cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) by 10 per cent in five years. Experiments are under way for finding new materials, which will reduce the weight and size of machines.

Increased commodity prices are having an impact on the capital cost. New research will help the company stem the rising cost, he said.

Mr Tanti said that in spite the economic recession in the US, wind energy sector has not slowed down as the demand for power continues. In calendar year 2007, the US added 5,244 MW of wind power taking the cumulative installed wind power capacity to 16,879 MW.

In the current market conditions, the wind power sector is expected to grow at 35 per cent, he said.

Renewable Portfolio Standard, which mandates power utilities to source a specified percentage of the electricity they distribute from renewable energy sources, is driving the demand.

The US utilities are keen on sourcing 20 per cent of their power from the renewable sources, he said.

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