'Renewable energy streams untapped'

Utilisation of resources key to taking state out of energy deficiency, says GEDA report

Gujarat has a tremendous opportunity to utilise renewable sources of electricity, according to study by the Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA), established by the government of Gujarat.

"In environmental terms, Gujarat has rich renewable energy resources - 300 days of sunshine, good winds along its long shoreline and scope for vast energy plantations on its wastelands. Moreover, the state has opportunities to use the waste land to grow energy plantations and waste-to-energy options available," said an official of GEDA.

The state machinery has also recently discovered the large reserve of the crude oil near Gujarat.

With these developments, the state has the great opportunity to come out of the energy deficiency if the utilisation is done in the right manner, the report said.

The report reads: "The state is blessed with a long coast line of 1600 km where the wind speeds are adequate for conversion in to electrical energy. Similarly, certain inland hilly areas have potential wind speed for the same. In terms of power application, the state of Gujarat has a technical potential of 1450 MW of wind power generation."

More than 70 per cent of the population in the state is living in rural or semi-urban areas. About 900 mw electric power could be generated from the 24 million tonnes of biomass to meet the energy requirements of almost all villages in the Gujarat, the study says.

The biomass includes crop residues, agricultural waste and animal dung, which easily available in the state having the large base of agriculture and animals.

The potential sites for tidal power development have already been located in Gujarat.

The most attractive locations are the Gulf of Cambay and the Gulf of Kutch on the west coast where the maximum tidal range is 11 metres and 8 metres with average tidal range of 6.77 metres and 5.23 metres respectively.

The tides are generated through a combination of forces exerted by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon and the rotation of the earth.

The Gulf of Cambay and the Gulf of Kutch have potential to generate about 7000 MW and 1200 MW respectively. The Kutch Tidal Power Project with an installed capacity of about 900 MW is estimated to cost about Rs. 1460 crore is under techno-economic feasibility examination.

The state enjoys about 300 days with clear sky and sunshine that is the chief resource of energy. Solar Thermal Technology (STT) and Solar Photovoltaic Technology (SPT) can be employed for collecting and converting the sun energy to heat energy and to directly convert solar energy to electrical energy by the using "solar silicon cell".

"The power of the solar energy can not be estimated due its natural attributes. But one thing is sure that Gujarat has the great opportunities lying ahead with use of solar energy as it is available abundantly. There is only one time establishment cost involved for solar energy's utilisation," said an official.

The GEDA intends to promote wind, biomass and cogeneration power generation through private participation. The organisation is also playing pivotal role in the state in dissemination of energy through various information and communication services and activities.

The GEDA was established in June 1979 to promote renewable energy technologies and energy conservation measures. The organisation is celebrating 2004 as its silver jubilee year.