Wind energy to power India Inc

Faced with a huge power crisis big corporations such as the Tata group, Aditya Birla group, RPG Enterprises, Godrej group and the Bajaj group have started setting up wind power generation units, the most popular source of non-conventional energy.

The objective is to reduce dependence on conventional power. The initiative of shifting to non-conventional energy is creating resources without stretching the companies' balance sheets as investments in non-conventional energy is totally tax free.

Tulsi R Tanti, chairman and managing director of Suzlon Energy, said his company has created windmill power generation facilities for many companies.

The list includes Bajaj Auto, Tata Power, Aditya Birla group, Godrej, RE Agro, Ajanta group, RPG Enterprises and a host of textiles companies at Tirupur. Suzlon is the market leader in wind power generation.

The wind power industry is pegged at 3,100 mw and growing at a 30 per cent rate.

"More and more companies will set up wind power units as they increasingly realise the importance of non-conventional energy resources," Tanti added.

Experts said India is the fifth largest wind power generation industry in the globe after Germany, the US, Spain and Denmark. It is expected that by end of June quarter, India will emerge as the fourth player piping to Denmark.

Denmark's capacity is 400 mw more than India's. In 2004, India has added 875 mw of wind power generation.

The companies find it "very convenient" to invest in non-conventional energy, said a top executive of a group which has recently set up an unit.

"The power generator companies select a place depending on data of last 100 years. They set up the unit, maintain it on a turnkey basis and also find a buyer for the power, if the place is far away from the concerned company. The companies are only required to give the power generating firm the required money and charge for 100 per cent tax relief for the amount," he added.