CANAL TOP SOLAR Vs WIND/OFFSHORE WIND FARMS IN GUJARAT “The pilot project, designed to eliminate the requirement of land for setting up a solar plant, is set up by Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) with active support from Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL). The solar power panels are set up over the 750 meter-long stretch of the branch canal and the project will generate 16 lakh units of clean electricity annually. Not only that, it will also prevent evaporation of 90 lakh liters of water from the canal every year. Thus, the project holds significance in view of energy security and water security as well. Interestingly, the trial run of the solar plants indicates that solar panels set up under this project produce 15% more power as compared to similar panels set up under a plant on land or roof-top. The water flowing under the panels keeps them relatively cool and this helps in generating more power. It is worthwhile to mention that the length of the Narmada Main Canal, constructed under the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), is 458 km, while the length of entire canal network under the project built up so far is about 19,000 km. The total length of entire canal network planned under the project is around 85,000 km. If 10% of the existing canal network can be used for setting up solar power plants, it will have a potential to install power generation capacity of 2,200 MW. This can eliminate the need of 11,000 acre of land that would have been required otherwise and save evaporation of 2,000 crore liters of water annually. The commissioning of the canal-based solar power plants reaffirms Gujarat’s commitment towards tapping solar energy potential available in the state in a big way. The state has made a significant headway in this direction by installing 600 MW capacity in this sphere very recently. The achievement holds significance as the total installed capacity of solar power in rest of the country is just about 120 MW.” Total Wastelands in the country: Wastelands (sq.km) during 2008-09 467021.16 Gujarat 20108.06 9 (Taken from Table-3: Category wise total area under wastelands (sq.km) during 2008-09 vis-a-vis 2005-06 and change in different categories, (Change Analysis based on temporal satellite data of 2005-06 and 2008-09), Wastelands Atlas of India 2011, (Change Analysis based on temporal satellite data of 2005-06 and 2008-09), Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi: Land Use and Cover Monitoring Division (LRUMG), Remote Sensing & GIS Applications Area, National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation, Dept. of Space, Govt. of India, Hyderabad) When there is so much of waste land,why double the cost per MW Canal top Solar? Did any body studied the effect of the flowing water on the nearby ambienmt temperature? How about corrosion in the area? Earlier there was a problem of wind turbines due to corrosion. First of al in the canal water will be flowing but not stagnant. As such how this figure of “evaporation of 90 lakh liters of water from the canal every year prevented” ? Moreover there are gaps between solar panels throughwhich sunshine passes. Also wind plays a vital role in evaporation. Don’t we dry washed clothes under the Sun? Gujarat, however, has a much greater potential to add wind power generation capacity because of the state’s long coastline and huge tracts of land which is only marginally useful for agriculture, and where population density is low. Wind power potential critically depends on prevailing wind speeds because the power generation from a wind turbine is proportional to the cubic power of wind speed. Gujarat’s uniform wind power potential across the state is a major advantage in terms of flexibility for site selection. In particular, the coastline north of the Gulf of Kutch has the highest potential in the state and therefore represents an attractive location for wind power installations. The Union government’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRO) is considering reintroducing incentives such as accelerated depreciation, which could reduce income tax liabilities and strengthen cash flows, and generation based incentives (GBIs). These may further enhance the commercial viability of wind power and manufactuing of WTGs. This is relevant as the estimates are that capital expenditure of INR 4245 million is needed per MW of power generated through coalbased or gasbased projects; while wind based projects require INR 60 million per MW. Since the coastline from Maharashtra to Kerala appears less attractive for wind power, Gujarat has the opportunity to advance national interest by establishing a renewable energy corridor to trade any surplus wind power generation with neighbouring states. Because of the intermittent nature of wind power generation, investment in generation should also be complemented by comparable transmission and distribution infrastructure upgrades that allow smart metering and flexibility for consumers to use different sources of electricity. In India’s federal polity, the union government also has the responsibility to ensure that its regulatory and incentive regimes provide necessary flexibility to the states, ensuring commercial viability and efficient allocation of power. As an example, making it difficult for interstate sale of wind power even in border areas is counterproductive. Gujarat’s new Wind Energy Policy permits utilities to sell electricity generated from wind turbines to the state electricity board as well as private companies having license for electricity distribution. By way of supporting its renewable energy policy, the state has also exempted generating utilities from paying mandatory electricity duty. A string of policy measures, both in the form of inducements and forced self discipline, have been introduced to encourage efficiency and make renewable energy generation financially viable without government support in the long run. Besides adding a credible renewable energy portfolio, the initiatives also have the potential for new businesses and job creation in the sector. To avoid the problems of displacement of people, the state is mainly focusing on the vast tracts of barren land for wind energy projects. To conclude, Gujarat’s Wind Power Policy (WPP) is a good example of competent, commercially viable, and internationally compatible energy policy management, while being consistent with India’s national objective of enhancing reliance on renewable sources of energy. The 2013 WPP will also help Gujarat in maintaining domestic and international competitiveness, and further its reputation as a well-governed state with high broadbased economic growth in the Indian Union. WHY NOT GUJARAT TAKE LEAD IN GOING IN FOR OFFSHORE WIND FARMS? Today there is much interest in offshore windfarms in Europe with UK leading. US,France,Taiwan,China etc. have ambitious plans to go in for offshore Wind Farms. Following are the official figures sourced from union government’s latest documents: The total length of coastline along each of the coastal State/UT in the country is as follows: Sl. No. State / UT Length of coastline (in km) (i) Gujarat 1214.7 (ii) Maharashtra 652.6 (iii) Goa, Daman and Diu 160.5 (iv) Karnataka 280.0 (v) Kerala 569.7 (vi) Tamil Nadu 906.9 (vii) Pudducherry 30.6 (viii) Andhra Pradesh 973.7 (ix) Odisha 476.4 (x) West Bengal 157.5 (xi) Lakshadweep Islands 132.0 (xii) Andaman & Nicobar Islands 1962.0 Total Coastline 7516.6 Offshore wind power: Offshore wind power refers to the construction of wind farms in bodies of water to generate electricity from wind. Better wind speeds are available offshore compared to on land, so offshore wind power’s contribution in terms of electricity supplied is higher. Power P = 0.5 p A V3 .. .. (1) Where P = Power, p density of air,V=speed of the wind and A is the area of the intercepted airstream (equal to the ‘swept’ by the rotor). In standard conditions (sea level, temperature 15 degrees Celsius) the density of the air is 1.225 kg/m3. So the amount of Power intercepted by each square rotor is: P=0.612 V3 Watts … (2) For Example, if the wind speed is 6 m/s (a moderate breeze) the power intercepted per square meter is 0.612 X 63 = 132 W; but if the speed rises to 24 m/s (a severe gale) the power becomes 0.612 X 243 = 8460 W. This massive increase is due to cubic relationship between wind speed and power by equation (2). Here the word’ intercepted’ rather than ‘captured’ is used because the above figures relate to the power in the wind, not the amount actually extracted by a turbine rotor. Large modern turbines typically capture up of about 50% of the wind power presented to them. Betzs law is a theory about the maximum possible energy to be derived from a wind turbine developed in 1919 by the German physicist Albert Betz. According to Betzs law, no turbine can capture more than 59.3 percent of the kinetic energy in wind. The ideal or maximum theoretical efficiency n max (also called power coefficient) of a wind turbine is the ratio of maximum power obtained from the wind to the total power available in the wind. The factor 0.593 is known as Betzs coefficient. It is the maximum fraction of the power in a wind stream that can be extracted. Economics and benefits Offshore wind power can help to reduce energy imports, reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases (by displacing fossil-fuel power generation), meet renewable electricity standards, and create jobs and local business opportunities. COST COMPARISON OF ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE WIND FARMS Onshore Investment of about $1.5 million per MW Levelized cost of 6-7 cents per kWh O&M – 1-3% of capital costs May be built in smaller units Offshore Investment of $2.3 million per MW Levelized cost of about 10-11 cents per kWh Higher O&M – 40$ per kW and 0.7 cents per kWh variable Large turbines and farms required In spite of the higher costs and the uncertainties involved in offshore wind, research in this sector has been significant, and the main reason is the potential offered by offshore wind turbines, especially in lands close to water At the end of 2011, there were 53 European offshore wind farms in waters off Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, with an operating capacity of 3,813 MW, while 5,603 MW is under construction . Global Scenario As of September 2012, the Greater Gabbard Wind Farm in the United Kingdom is the largest offshore wind farm in the world at 504 MW, followed by Walney Wind Farm (367 MW), also in the UK. The London Array (630 MW) is the largest project under construction. The biggest producer of wind energy is Horns Rev 2 in Denmark even though it has a smaller nameplate capacity than a few other wind farms. In 2011 Horns Rev 2 produced 911.03GigaWatt-hours (GWh). The second largest producer is Rodsand 2 with 833,47 GWh produced in 2011. In terms of total production since introduction Horns Rev 1 remains the largest with 5.200,57 GWh produced since the park opened. Nysted 1, also in Denmark, is the second largest wind farm in the world in terms of total energy produced. Nysted 1 has produced 4.521,45 GWh since its start. Third is Horns Rev 2 with 2.002,66 GWh produced. Despite economic and political uncertainties, weakening investments, grid connection issues and a dip in the U.S. onshore wind energy market, offshore wind around the world continues its momentum. The European Wind Energy Assn. (EWEA, Brussels, Belgium) says 132 offshore wind turbines in 13 wind farms (523.2 MW of capacity) came online in the first six months of 2012 — an increase of 50 percent from the same period in 2011. EWEA also reports that as of June 2012, 4.3 GW of offshore turbines had been installed off the European coast, and conservative estimates are that the total could grow to 25 GW by 2020. In Japan a huge new 1-GW offshore wind farm — the world’s largest to date — was announced in January to replace the nuclear power capacity lost in the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Although the U.K. (the world’s leader in installed offshore units), Germany, Belgium, France and Italy lead the offshore surge, China’s offshore wind industry is reportedly poised for huge growth. Moreover, Morocco and Tunisia have active developments, and in 2014, Egypt will begin work on a 200-MW wind farm in the Gulf of Suez. In fact, the offshore wind analysts at 4C Offshore (Suffolk, U.K.) are tracking 1,301 offshore wind projects in 38 countries with a total nameplate power capacity of 3.6 GW Wind power is the most established technology in the world. Per MW costs around Rs 6 Crores(as compared to 17.5 Crores Canal top Solar Plant. The generation of power 16 Lakh Units per year. State Capacity as on 31.03.2014(MW) Tamil Nadu 7276 Gujarat 3414 Maharashtra 4098 Rajasthan 2820 Karnataka 2409 Andhra Pradesh 753 Madhya Pradesh 439.00 Kerala 55 Others 4.30 Total 21264 The main advantages of power generation from wind energy are 1. The capital cost is comparable with conventional power plants. For a wind farm, the capital cost ranges between 4.5 crores to 6.85 crores per MW, depending up on the type of turbine, technology, size and location. 2. Construction time is less. 3. Fuel cost is zero. 4. O & M cost is very low. 5. Capacity addition can be in modular form. 6. There is no adverse effect on global environment. The whole system is pollution free and environment friendly. The state of Gujarat is estimated to have the maximum gross wind power potential in India, with a potential of 10.6 GW. Infact there is a joke about Solar Cell: The Amount of energy that goes into the production of solar cell is more than the output it gives in its life time! The material that goes into solar panels aluminium,steel,glass etc. are all energy intensive. No body is against solar energy. Infact the coming age is all Renewable energy. Solar Water Heaters, Solar Cookers, Solar driers, Solar Reading Lights with LED etc. will be a boon for developing countries. Solar Cooker (Box Type) which is more than 60 years old is yet to penetrate in rural areas. Hardly 6 lakh Box Type Solar Cookers are sold (but not used) in the country. In the power generation there must be comparison of cost between conventional power and Renewable Energy and between various Renewable Energy options like solar, wind, biomass, mini and micro hydel etc. If the contention is that Sunlight is available in most parts of the country for a long time in a year, there are other options like biofuel and conversion of biogas into power. Agave is a care – free growth plant which can be grown in millions of hectares of waste land and which produces Biofuel. Already Mexico is using it. Another Care free growth plant is Opuntia which generates Biogas. Biogas can be input to generate power through Biogas Generators. Biogas generators of MW size are available from China. Crassulacean acid metabolism, also known as CAM photosynthesis, is a carbon fixationpathway that evolved in some plants as an adaptation to arid conditions In a plant using full CAM, the stomata in the leaves remain shut during the day to reduce evapotranspiration, but open at night to collect carbon dioxide (CO2). The CO2 is stored as the four-carbon acidmalate, and then used during photosynthesis during the day. The pre-collected CO2 is concentrated around the enzyme RuBisCO, increasing photosynthetic efficiency. Agave and Opuntia are the best CAM Plants. What is needed in an agrarian country like ours is AGRO INDUSTRIES to utilise local resources and resourcefulness as advocated by Mahatma Gandhiji. Pictures: DeshGujarat Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India Renewable Energy Expert E-mail: anumakonda.jagadeesh@gmail
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 04:16:52 +0000
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