Helping India harness wind energy
As demand for power continues to rise in India in view of the increasing urbanisation and industrialisation, supply is unable to keep pace with it.
August 19, 2015 / 15:13 IST
As demand for power continues to rise in India in view of the increasing urbanisation and industrialisation, supply is unable to keep pace with it. According to a Central Electricity Authority report, in the year 2012-13, India faced peak power deficit of over 12,000 mega watts (MW). Data showed that peak power demand stood at 1,35,453 MW as against production of 1,23,294 MW. With most power in our country being thermally produced, there is immense dependence on coal and natural gas for electricity generation. Any shortage of these resources has a negative impact on power production. In order to offset the increasing pressure on coal and natural gas, India is progressively moving towards tapping renewable energy resources – wind being the most prominent of them.Realising the potential that wind energy in India holds and the challenges that the country offers, GE is working towards creating world-class turbines that are designed, tested and manufactured locally.GE's wind energy solutionsGiven that India is a low-wind speed regime, GE manufactures turbines that are unique and suit the wind density speeds here. These turbines are then deployed in wind-rich sites, which are often located in difficult-to-access areas.Rising to the challenges thrown by the Indian wind conditions, GE turbines, with their large rotor diameter, are specially engineered at the John F. Welch Technology Centre in Bangalore. They are designed keeping in mind India's low-wind environment.As an in-country partner, the company supports Indian wind operators through the development and construction process and beyond. GE technicians work with customers on wind resource assessment wind measurement campaigns. The company also delivers and assembles turbines and once commercial operation begins, provides operators with a complete Operations and Maintenance (O&M) offering. With a technology centre in Bangalore and a manufacturing facility in Pune help GE meet India's growing demand for wind power.On the outskirts of Pune, GE operates a state-of-the-art wind turbine manufacturing and assembly plant. Highly trained technicians at the plant assemble the nacelles and rotor hubs of the 1.X MW platform turbines. Once off the manufacturing line, turbines go through intense testing to ensure they meet the company's strict quality control standards. This plant adheres to international standards and EHS benchmarks and also follows GE's own strict safety and quality standards.From the John F. Welch Technology Centre in Bangalore, 200 GE engineers and trained technicians provide customers a suite of proprietary tools like the GE WindLAYOUT measurement tool. This technology lets developers maximize wind capture locations and configurations of a wind site. In keeping with the company's philosophy of continuous improvement, engineers in Bangalore explore and develop next-generation turbines and clean energy technologies on evolutionary basis for India and for the globe.References:http://www.ge.com/in/products_services/wind-energy/pdf/India_Fact_Sheet.pdf
http://www.ge-energy.com/wind
Story continues below Advertisement
Know more aboutGE's wind turbine manufacturing
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
