India Aims For 1GW Solar Power By 2013

 

Under new guidelines released by India's government, 1,000 megawatts of new solar power capacity will be online in the nation by 2013.
 
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), also known as the 'Solar India' initiative, is designed to catapult India into a position of being a global leader in solar energy.
 
The Mission has set a target of 20,000MW to occur in three phases , with the first phase up to 2012-13, second phase from 2013 to 2017 and the third phase from 2017 to 2022.
 
The projects for the first phase will consist of both Solar PV and Solar Thermal projects  in a ratio of 50:50.
 
Under the Jawaharlal Nehru Mational Solar Mission, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) will be the primary agency to purchase solar power generated by independent solar power producers, at rates fixed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and for a period of 25 years. 
 
For 2010 -11 the CERC has fixed the rate of Rs. 17.91 per Unit for solar panel based projects and Rs 15.31 per unit for solar thermal power projects. The rates will apply to Solar PV projects commissioned by March 2012 and Solar Thermal projects commissioned by March 2013. 
 
Funding for the Solar India initiative will be derived in part from a coal tax .
 
India's Government has also announced guidelines to encourage domestic manufacture and the country's Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr Abdullah, has invited global solar companies to invest in the nation.
 

10MW Wind Generator Unveiled

 

British company Wind Power Limited has unveiled its new offshore wind generator, the 10MW Aerogenerator X, with  twice the power and half the weight of Wind Power’s original Aerogenerator design.
  
According to the company, it doesn't have same weight constraints as a normal wind turbine and the blades do not suffer weight induced fatigue. Aerogenerator X is half the height of an equivalent horizontal axis turbine and its weight is concentrated at the base of the structure. The generator is huge; stretching nearly 275 metres from blade tip to tip. 
  
The Guardian reports each 10MW Aerogenerator X turbine has the potential to generate enough electricity to provide 5,000-10,000 homes - the energy equivalent to 2 million barrels of oil over their 25-year lifetime.
 
Theo Bird of Wind Power Limited says: "Offshore is the ideal place for wind power but is also an extremely tough environment. The US wind researchers who worked on vertical axis projects have always regarded the technology as great to work with at sea because it can be big, tough and easily managed."
  
Wind Power’s Aerogenerator project was originally developed in 2005. The first Aerogenerator X units will be constructed  in 2013-14 after two years of testing.
  
Several companies are in the race to build a 10MW wind powered generator. According to Wikipedia, the world's largest turbine is currently the Enercon E-126, with a rated capacity of 7.58 MW, an overall height of 198 m and a diameter of 126 m. 
  
Image: 10MW Aerogenerator X ©2010 Wind Power Limited and Grimshaw 
  

News for Monday 26 July, 2010

 

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