The Rs.20,000-crore Muthoot Pappachan Group, which has a minor wing doing business in alternate energy, is keen on investing in a big way in the wind energy sector in Kerala, especially over the Ramakkalmedu ridges on the Western Ghats in Idukki district, the group’s chairman and managing director Thomas John Muthoot has said. Talking to presspersons here on Thursday, he said the group had invested more than Rs.150 crore in wind energy so far, generating 25 MW in Tamil Nadu. According to his group’s assessment, Kerala had a wind energy potential of nearly 2,000 MW. The places most ideal for wind energy stations are Ramakkalmedu in Idukki district and Kanjikode and Attappadi in Palakkad district. The wind blows the fastest in the whole country over the Ramakkalmedu ridges. Not just his group, but several other investors too would like to invest in this emerging sector. He said the only hurdle in Ramakkalmedu was approach roads and lines to transmit the generated electricity. The lines could even be drawn to the Tamil Nadu side of the border; but the approach roads to take the machines to the top of the ridges had to be in place from the Kerala side. There were two narrow bridges along the way. Mr. John Muthoot said the State government could provide the basic infrastructure like approach roads to exploit the wind energy potential in places such as Ramakkalmedu. He said the same problem was experienced when a private group set up wind energy stations at Attappadi. There were complaints about laying approach roads to take equipment. Only a few specific locations were ideal for setting up wind energy stations and the State government should come up with a policy to utilise such places in the best way possible. Some equity sharing arrangement could be worked out for such stations, with the community owning the place getting its due share of the returns.