The Hindu : Kerala News : Approval for two firms to start windpower units in Kerala

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Wednesday, Jun 27, 2007
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Approval for two firms to start windpower units in Kerala

Special Correspondent

The units will come up at Ramakkalmedu and Agaly

The projects to go on stream from September
Government to exploit non-conventional energy

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Government has given its technical sanction to two private companies for setting up wind power units, one at Ramakkalmedu in Idukki district and the other at Agaly in Palakkad district.

The unit at Ramakkalmedu will have an installed power generation capacity of 9.75 mw and the one at Agaly 4.8 mw, Electricity Minister A.K. Balan said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

The first will go on stream by September and the second by December this year, the representatives of the companies said after accepting the sanction letters from the Minister at the press conference. Vestas Wind Technology India Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vestas Group, Denmark, is promoting the Ramakkalmedu project. The other project is being set up by Suzlon Energy Limited.

Mr. Balan said the windy heights of Ramakkalmedu hills had an estimated potential to generate 200 mw of wind energy. The Agaly hills too had a similar potential. Both the companies will set up their units on land purchased by them for the purpose. Transmission lines to evacuate power from these places will be drawn by the Kerala State Electricity Board. He said the State Electricity Regulatory Commission would decide at what cost they would sell power to the KSEB.

First step

Mr. Balan described these private sector initiatives as the first step in the State Government’s efforts to exploit sources of non-conventional energy. He also said that efforts were on to revive the memoranda of understanding the previous LDF Government had signed in 1998 with a Chinese company for setting up a string of small hydroelectric projects in various centres in the State. The then Government had identified 18 locations ideal for projects generating between 2 mw and 4 mw of power. Only four of these projects had been completed.

The Minister negotiated the revival of the proposal for the remaining 14 projects with the Chinese company during his visit to China earlier this month.

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