CHENNAI: The nation’s first wind power forecasting micro pilot project was launched in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters here, Prof K Kasturirangan, chairman of the Indian Wind Power Association, said that three billion units of wind energy worth `900 crore were lost due to change in the grid frequency, which was reduced after the northern grid tripped and blacked out 22 States in 2012.
The Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Limited (TRANSCO) was cautious about scheduling wind power due to fluctuations as nobody had an idea of how much wind power was available to be scheduled for the State load dispatch centre. As a result, three billion units of wind power was lost, he said.
But now, with wind power forecasting, TRANSCO would have the data of wind power available every 15 minutes through the sub-stations, he said.
“Now, TRANSCO will know the availability of wind power and have a proper mix by using the total wind energy resources available,” he said.
Talking about the project, K Boopathi, additional director and head Wind Resource Assessment Unit, National Institute of Wind Energy, told reporters that the micro-project would be effected in four sub-stations in Ayyanaruthu in Kayathar and Udumalpet.
“From there it will be expanded across the State in 134 substations,” he added.
Although there were many service providers of wind power production forecasting, this is the first such project by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Varsha Joshi, Joint Secretary (Wind Energy), MNRE, said the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) and MNRE, in collaboration with Vortex Factoria de Calculs, Spain, was ready to provide its wind power forecasting services initially in Tamil Nadu. “This will be extended to the entire country,” she added.
Boopathi said the project aimed at providing forecasting services to the wind industry every 15 minutes up to 10 days ahead.
“This will support the load dispatch centres for scheduling and dispatching of electricity from wind farms for demand supply management with ease,” Bhoopathi added.
The State power distribution company wants wind power forecasting service in order to manage grid properly and effectively
The project will provide forecast on wind and quantum of energy from a wind farm or substation
The equipment in the substation will accumulate data every 15 minutes and send it to the National Institute of Wind Energy through FTP
The data will then be transferred to State Load Despatch Centre, which will know how many units of wind energy is available to be transferred to the grid
This will ensure high level of wind energy routing and mitigate effects on the stability of the grid and security of energy supply