Wind power installation flat in April-Sept, but industry bullish about future

Wind power installations in the first six months of the current financial year totals 864.75 MW, not much higher than the 827 MW the country saw in the same period last year. However, wind turbine manufacturers say they are seeing good demand from wind farm developers and companies that want to put up wind mills to save on tax.

Installations in the first half of the current financial year take the country’s total installed wind power capacity to 22,060 MW.

A notable feature of the first six months’ installations is the emergence of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan as new favoured destinations, and the sharp drop in Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu’s numbers seem good, but industry leaders say that the installations in the state were projects planned earlier.

Mr Madhusudhan Khemka, Chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers’ Association told Business Line that there is good demand from companies who wish to avail themselves of the tax-saving ‘accelerated   depreciation’ benefit and from ‘independent power producers’ many of whom have received international equity funding in the recent past. Mr Khemka, who is also the Chairman and Managing Director of wind turbine manufacturer, ReGen Powertech, feels that the current year could close with 3,000 MW, compared with 2,150 MW last year.

Industry experts note that it is not unusual that projects get executed in the last quarter and point out that in March this year alone, investors put up 800 MW of wind turbines.