WhiteArrow News Service

The threat posed to sustainable development by the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and consequent climate changes occurring globally have understandably caused worldwide concern.

According to an assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate change, the rise in the average global temperature will be between 1 degree and 3.5 degrees C by the end of the next century, i.e., 2100. This represents an average rate of global warming greater than any in the last 10,000 years. This has undoubtedly serious implications for the survival of not only human beings but also animals and plants. This has led to a series of initiatives at the national and international levels.

With growing environmental concerns and the dwindling reserves of fossil fuels, recourse to renewable sources of energy became imperative. Even as early as 1955 it was estimated that fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas would not last for more than 150 years if reliance were to be placed entirely on these for energy generation. In India the total potential of renewable energy is estimated to be 100,000 MW.

Recognising the relevance of renewable energy sources, the Government of India set up in 1981 a Commission for Additional Sources of Energy (CASE) on the lists of the Space commission and the Atomic Energy Commission the Department of Science and Technology. A year later, a separate department of Non-conventional Energy Sources, was created in the Ministry of Energy. Ten years later, this was upgraded to the level of a Ministry. India has thus earned the distinction of being the only country in the world to have an exclusive Ministry for Non conventional Energy sources (MNES) which has been implementing one of the worlds largest programmes on renewable energy, spanning the entire spectrum of technologies targeted towards all sections of the society.

The Tamilnadu energy Development Agency (TEDA), a Nodal agency of Ministry of Non conventional Energy Sources, Government of India is a Government of Tamilnadu undertaking. The Agency was formed during February 1985 with the following main objectives:

1. To promote the use of New and Renewable Sources of energy (NRSE) and to implement the projects therefore;

2. To promote energy conservation activities; and

3. To encourage research and development on renewable sources of energy.

With the guidance and financial support of the MNES and the Government of Tamilnadu, TEDA has taken up statewide programmes relating to demonstration and extension of various NRSE systems such as wind, solar, bio energy and other programmmes.

Wind Energy

It has been proved that TN is one of the best windy states in the country. So far about 60 Wind Monitoring Stations have been installed and the resourceful sites were identified.

The demonstration wind farms at 8 regions with the total capacity of 19.355 MW were also established. As on January 31, Y2K, these demonstration wind farms in Tamilnadu with 120 Wind Electric Generators have cumulatively generated and fed to TNEB grid. A total capacity of 280.984 million units of power.

The single largest area of private wind farms of the country exists in Tamil Nadu in Muppandal area with an installed capacity of 394.715 MW. This is next only to the cluster of windmills installed in california USA.

These private wind farms with 2736 Wind Electric Generators and with a total installed capacity of 827.530 MW have been generated and fed to the TNEB grid a total of 5287.130 million units of electricity upto January 31, Y2K. Tamilnadu as on date has the highest installed capacity in India in respect of Wind Electricity Generation, i.e., a total of 846.865 MW out of the National Installed capacity of 1024.365 MW.

Solar Energy

Under Solar Energy the main thrust is towards Solar Water Heating Systems (SWHS) for domestic and non-domestic use. Identified Nationalised Banks have been extending financial assistance under Soft Loan Schemes for installation of the same.

Solar Air Heating Systems (SAHS) is becoming popular among plantation industries, like tea/fruit processing and grain drying industries, etc. So far 14 numbers of SAHS installations have been done through TEDA.

As a concept of Hybridization, TEDA installed one SPV Power plant of capacity 15 KW at Kayathar, tuticorin District, midst of Wind Electric Generators, during February 1995 which is a grid connected demonstration plant. Apart from this, during 1997-98, two more grid supporting SPV Power plants of 25 KW each in Coimbatore district were also commissioned.

A 4 KW SPV Power plant is functioning at the terrace of TEDAs office in Chennai.

The computer centre of MS Swaminathan Research Foundations, Taramani, Chennai has been supported by SPV Power plant of capacity 2x10KW on a dedicated basis since 1993.

So far 145 numbers of SPV Pumps have been installed. More than 5000 SPV lanterns have been distributed through TEDA.

As a part of demonstration two SPV refrigerators have been installed at two Government Headquarters Hospitals in Virudhunagar and Nagapattinam.

The other demonstration concept include SPV home lights, SPV street lights (1100 numbers), solar cookers, solar stills, battery operated vehicles (13 numbers), etc.

Bio Energy

The major thrust has been focused on waste to energy pertaining to Municipal/urban, Biomass agro residue wastes, etc. For the first of its kind in India, the following two projects have been sanctioned and the other one is in the pipeline:

1. Installation of 0.5 MW power plant using starch effluent waste waters of M/s VSIL, Papireddypatti, Dharmapuri District.

1. Installation of 1.2 MW high rated biomethanation power plant using poultry waste at Namakkal District.

2. Installation of 1 MW grid connecte dpower plant using coconut shell (gasification).

Business Development Associate (BDA)

TEDA is also acting as BDA for IREDA to disseminate and conceptualize the activities pertaining to the financing guidelines of IREDA which is being funded by MNES nationally and World Bank, GEF, Danida, KfW, and OECF (Japan) internationally.