Power situation with ensuing hot summer: TANGEDCO sets up a centre to tap renewable energy
Posted on: 26/Mar/2016 2:50:24 PM
The power generation in the state of Tamil Nadu currently depends largely on coal-fired thermal power stations.
The state has more than 7,000 mega watt (MW) of installed wind capacity.
The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) is now planning to optimally use this wind-generated energy.
Tangedco has started a Renewable Energy Management Centre (REMC).
This Centre will handle wind energy and solar power by coordinating with the State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC).
As per information from a senior Tangedco official, REMC`s role will be to forecast and schedule the wind energy patterns, normally treated as `infirm` energy.
The immediate effect of the creation of the centre was the absorption of wind power of more than 1,200 MW on March 22. So far more than 90,000 million units of wind energy have been fed into the grid from an installed capacity of 7,252 MW.
Wind Energy
The officials at the centre are positive about harnessing wind energy to the maximum. For this purpose, they will utilise the scientific forecasting by the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) and data received from the installation of real-time meters from the 117 pooling substations of the windmill farms.
Over the last year, the main grievance of the windmill generators was that they were asked to back down on wind generation. This could be attributed to lack of background data about wind patterns, the inability to shut down or re-start thermal stations immediately as wind generation is volatile, and the need to safeguard the electricity grid from unpredictable electricity flow.
The problem of evacuation of wind energy has also been overcome with the completion of the Green Energy Fund Corridor distributed through German Development Bank to strengthen evacuation of wind energy by installing five 400 kilo volt (KV) substations including at Thappugundu, Anaikadavu and Rasipalayam, and 540 kilometres of transmission lines.
With more than 1,200 MW of solar power supposed to be added to the State grid by the end of this year, the total installed capacity of renewable energy would tip over 11,000 MW.
Hydro energy
While hydro energy is not treated as renewable energy, water being a natural source, the State could still well exploit it. Tangedco has a 2,284 MW installed capacity of hydro stations.
As there is immense potential of solar energy generation, and the marginal possibilities of wind and hydro power, Tamil Nadu would do well to look at enhancing its capacity to harness these systems.
