Page 63 - CV Aug-Sep 2023 Issue

Such a tariff can attract more customers more electricity using higher capacity 200-300 per cent, projects may still need
through open access, because their turbines of over 3 mw. For instance, a higher tariffs of at least Rs 4/unit than the
average power purchase cost today is Rs new 3 mw windmill with a plant load recently discovered bids of Rs 3/unit to
4-5 per unit. Total installed capacity wind factor of 34-36 percent can potentially generate double-digit returns.
power nearly tripled from 13 gw in 2010 generate 200 per cent more electricity
to 34 gw till March 2018 and then lost than a 1 mw old turbine at the same site Commercial and industrial customers will
pace and touched 42 gw as of December with a plant load factor of 22-24 per cent, find Rs 4/unit tariffs lucrative compared
2022. But most of these entailed he said. with grid tariff of Rs 7-8/unit in Gujarat
windmills with hub height less than 100 and Tamil Nadu. Developers can prefer
metres, and narrower turbines of less According to Varun Marwaha, an repowering over greenfield capacity
than 1.5 mw capacity which can generate associate director at the agency, the draft because the risks will be lower given the
less per unit of capex compared with repowering policy paves the way for over proven generation track record of existing
newer technologies. 5 gw of repowering investments, windmills. The pace of adoption and
especially in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. success will depend on the speed at
After 2018, wind capacity additions The policy provides clarity on extending which the policy is implemented and
slowed and reached 42 gw as of eligibility of older machines from 1 gw to approvals granted by state-run discoms
December 2022. One of the key reasons 2 gw to be repowered, on sale of and regulators because repowered
for this slowdown has been shortage of incremental generation under open projects will typically be linked to state
wind sites with high generation potential access route. electricity grids and will also have to
leading to higher capital cost compared service the remaining life of their extant
to solar projects. That meant wind However, capex per mw will be higher for power
projects needed higher tariffs, which repowered units than greenfield projects
discoms were chary of. as developers acquiring old wind sites
will likely pay a premium and also incur
New windmills can operate at hub dismantling expenses of Rs 80-100 lakh
heights over 150 metres and generate per mw. While generation will increase by

CONSTRUCTION VISION 61 AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023