BHEL is planning to make equipment required for wind power generation After having established itself as the largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise in India in the energy/infrastructure sector, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (bhel) has diversified into manufacturing equipment required for wind power generation. "Since we had the requisite technological know-how, it was easy for us to diversify into manufacturing generators for this segment. It required no investment on our end. One of the companies (which were already into generating wind power) had approached us a year back, as they were looking for new vendors in India to buy generators from. That set the ball rolling," says R. Krishnan, general manager (electrical machines), bhel. The first two generators are ready for despatch by bhel to Vestas rrb (a Chennai-based wind-energy generating company). "We would be sending these two generators to the company in early February from our Bhopal unit. The generators are of 600 kW and cost RslO lakh each," Krishnan adds. It may seem like a small start, but bhel has projected that, by 2010, it would be able to manufacture nearly 1,000 machines every year. The turnover from these machines would be around Rsl20 crore, with profit projected to be around 12 per cent of turnover. In wind power generation, it's the generator which pumps the fuel into the turbine, which in turn makes the wind mills rotate. If, bhel is successful in establishing itself as a manufacturer of generators for this segment, then they would venture into making turbines too. "We are hoping to get the generators from bhel by the beginning of February and hope they stick to their deadline, as there has already been a delay from their side. As the company is a reputed one, we are optimistic that their product would be up to the mark, but we would be able to make a comment on the quality of the machine only after we have tested it on ground. This would be best done during the high-wind season (April-October), as only then would we know whether the generator is able to withstand the load," says D. Ramaraj, general manager (r&d), Vestas rrb. India has a large market in wind generation at present. "The total capacity that India offers in wind power generation is 45,000 mw, of which the real potential is 15,000 mw. However, at present, only about 5,400 mw is being used till now," says G. Ramakrishna, senior deputy general manager, bhel. Once the generators business takes off, bhel will diversify into making turbines. "A national level team is studying the prospects of manufacturing turbines. If all goes well, we'll set up a unit at Ranipet (90 km from Chennai). But, here, we'd need a technical tie-up," Ramakrishna adds. In India, the largest potential is in the coastal states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and the hilly tracks of the North East. Tapping the sunlight Meanwhile, India has been tapping its supply of sunlight, water and biomass for the past two decades for renewable energy. The government created the department of non-conventional energy sources (dnes) in 1982. In 1992, a full-fledged ministry of non-conventional energy sources was established under the overall charge of the prime minister. India now ranks as a 'wind superpower', with an installed wind power capacity of 1,167 mw and about 5 billion units of electricity have been fed to the national grid so far. In progress are wind resource assessment pro