in Gujerati, Indiam the Surat city Municipal Corporation (SMC) has saved so much on the cost of electricity generation by wind power that it has set the wheels in motion for the construction of third wind power plant by appointing a consultant to advise them and then manage the whole project to completion and beyond.
The third plant will have an expected capacity of 6.3 MW and will cater to the electricity needs of Sarthana Water works and other water distribution centres of the city.
Approving the appointment of Delhi-based consultants “Power and Energy”, the standing committee chairman Rajesh Desai of SMC said:
“We want to be self-sufficient in our electricity needs, so we are in the process of increasing our capacity.”
The consulting agency will not only provide advice but will operate and maintain the plant for a period of ten years. They will also supervise the work of a contractor and verify the electrical energy generated by wind power plant.
SMC has a 3MW capacity wind power plant at Adodar in Porbandar district since 2010. It has produced 2.03 crore units of electricity in 31 month period and has saved a significant amount of money on electricity bills. Similarly, a second plant of 8.4 MW capacity is currently under construction and nearing completion. The power generated from this plant will start taking care of electricity expenses of running Katargam water works by the end of August.
Surat is Gujarat’s second largest city and India’s eighth most populated city with a population of 4.5 million. The city is largely recognized for its textile and diamond businesses. SMC are riding high on green energy and plan to meet almost 82% of its power needs from non-conventional sources by 2013-14.
Gujarat province has in the past few years registered the highest growth in its wind generation capacity. In India, Tamilnadu Province has highest wind potential and installed capacity in the country followed my Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Rajasthan.
