Orient to tap wind power in Sri Lanka and Croatia

Orient Green Power Limited (OGPL), engaged in developing, owning and operating renewable energy power projects, is planning to expand into overseas markets. The Chennai-based company, promoted by Shriram EPC, is planning to set up 200 MW of renewable energy projects mainly in the wind energy sector outside India and has identified Sri Lanka and Europe as the key markets.

Mr Shivaraman, CEO & MD, OGPL, said the company had picked up 87 per cent stake in Power Lanka (the rest held by a local partner), which would commission and operate a 10.5-MW wind power project. OGPL has already signed a power purchase agreement with the Sri Lankan government for a price of INR 10 per kWh for 20 years.

To establish wind farms in Europe, the company, through its subsidiary Orient Green Power Europe, has acquired a 52 per cent stake in Croatia-based Vjetroelektrana Crnobrdo. It has got an approval for building and operating a 10.5-MW wind power project.

‘Wind energy can meet Sri Lanka’s power requirement’

The wind-mapping results of Sri Lanka show many regions with good-to-excellent wind resources. The main wind season is from May-September, and the secondary wind season from December-February, according to Mr Ramesh Kymal, chairman and managing director, Gamesa Wind Turbines Pvt. Ltd.

“With the enormous potential available, wind alone can cater to more than Sri Lanka’s total power requirement,” he said. At present, the total installed power generation capacity is about 10,000 MW of which 58 per cent comes from thermal sources, 41 per cent (hydroelectric) and the balance from other sources, including wind.

According to Mr Kymal, after meeting Sri Lanka’s growing power demand, the excess power generated by the wind sector can be utilised for export to India. The proposed HVDC inter-connection of the southern grid with Sri Lanka will help expand the power market for generation projects in India, and vice-versa.

At present, Gamesa Wind Turbines Pvt. Ltd., a 100 per cent subsidiary of Gamesa Corporation, is executing a large wind project in the Puttalam area of Sri Lanka.

(picture from www.nrel.gov)