India added just 205 million watts (megawatts) of wind power capacity in the first quarter of the financial year, indicating that the current year is likely to be the third in a row to miss targets. According to numbers from the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE), the country added a total of 1,565 megawatts (mw) of wind power capacity during the last financial year, against a target of adding 2,500mw.
This year, the government has set a target of adding 2,000mw to the existing wind power generation peak-capacity of nearly 15,000mw.
Despite accounting for around 10% of the total peak power capacity in the country, wind turbines are expected to contribute
only around 2-3% of the total energy produced due to their
unpredictable utilisation.
In keeping with the trend, Tamil Nadu continued to increase its share of the new wind power projects, accounting for nearly half (98mw) of the new capacity during the quarter.
The state has seen its share of capacity addition increase steadily, even as national addition of wind power capacity has remained stagnant at around 1,700-1,500mw a year for the last seven to eight years.
The state increased its share from around 23% in 2007-08 to 29% in 2008-09 and 38% last year.
The biggest drop was seen in Gujarat, which saw its share drop from 14% from 37% three years ago.
Wind power projects have been restricted to the Southern and Western states, with the exception of Madhya Pradesh, according to the data, though Andhra Pradesh has seen only nominal increase in the last three years.
An increase of 5.3% in new wind installations had arrested an overall declining trend in new wind installations since 2005, raising hopes of a turn-around.
Capacity addition in the renewable power sector had jumped in the last financial year as the country added 2,330mw of renewable capacity, thanks to a strong showing by biomass-agriwaste and small hydro sector.
The two segments tripled their contribution from 250 mw in 2008-09 to 750mw in 2009-10.
Wind power continued to be the biggest contributor to capacity addition, contributing around 65% of the total.
The government numbers also showed a marked increase in the offtake of subsidy under the various schemes meant to support renewable energy.
Subsidy offtake was a record Rs220 crore for the first quarter of the current year against Rs500 crore for the whole of last year.
Maharashtra was the biggest beneficiary of subsidies, drawing nearly 18% of the total, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, which accounted for 15%.
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