Wind energy guidelines

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued final Guidelines for the development of onshore wind projects on 22 October 2016, said Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on November 21, 2016.

In May, MNRE had held consultation with stakeholders on draft guidelines.

Main features of these Guidelines are:

i) Free availability of time series data from all the wind masts installed through Government funding.

ii) Provision to discourage land squatting.

iii) Installation of international quality wind turbines.

iv) Micrositing criteria relaxed. Safe distance prescribed for Public Roads, railway tracks, highways, buildings, public institutions and Extra High Voltage lines from wind turbine.

v) Wind turbine to comply grid regulations.

vi) Mandatory to install Availability Based Tariff (ABT) compliant meter with telecommunication facility to enable implementation of Forecasting and scheduling (F&S) Regulation.

vii)Creation of an online registry of wind turbines installed in the country and submission of monthly performance report.

viii) Prescribing criteria for noise and shadow flicker to ensure health and safety of people working/residing near the wind farm.

ix) Provisions for Hybridisation and repowering.

x) Submission of Decommissioning Plan at the proposal stage itself.

The guidelines will facilitate development of wind projects in an efficient, cost-effective and environmentally benign manner.

The various ways in which these guidelines will be able to perform such tasks are:

i) Clear timelines for completion of project after getting land use permission will prevent squatting of land.
ii) With free availability of time series data the investors/lenders can estimate wind power generation at a particular site from a wind turbine model. This will bring more transparency in the sector.

iii) More wind capacity in a given area allowed with improved micrositing techniques.

iv) Mandatory installation of ABT compliant meter with telecommunication facility for F&S will reduce wind power uncertainty and thus reduce backing down and also enable online monitoring.

v) Prescribing criteria for noise and shadow flicker will ensure health and safety aspects of people working/residing near the wind farm.

vi) Proper Decommissioning of the wind turbines. fii-news.com