CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) has procured a record 111.29 million units of wind power on Tuesday. Tangedco chairman and managing director Rajesh Lakhani, in a tweet, said the earlier record was 107.55 million units evacuated on August 7, 2020. Lakhani said the forecast for wind energy is good till July 12.
The official said they have achieved the milestone due to better network of systems such as new substations and transmission lines. A new 765KV substation was being built in Virudhunagar and once it starts functioning, more wind power could be evacuated, officials said.
While the average cost of wind power is Rs 3 per unit, the cost of thermal power is between Rs 4 and 5 per unit, sources said. A senior official said, of the total renewable energy capacity of 17,225.11 MW in the State, 8,615.22 MW is the installed capacity of wind energy.
Normally, wind season in Tamil Nadu starts in May and ends in October every year, and wind power generation is good in July. Wind power evacuation was better this year than expected and Tangedco purchased more wind power, the official said.
The quantum of wind power evacuated had crossed 100 million units 17 times in the last six years, officials said. As more power is being generated through wind energy, a few thermal units have been shut.