| by N.S.Venkataraman
( October 8, 2012, Chennai, Sri Lanka
Guardian) Sri Lankan government can consider setting up off shore wind power
projects , which would generate dependable and eco friendly power in the scale
required by Sri Lanka and in a manner
appropriate to its strength of the
state.
Several off shore wind power projects have
been planned in Europe in recent times.
Successful
off shore wind power projects in
Europe :
The
growth in off shore wind power this year
in Europe has included 400 megawatts (MW) developed by DONG Energy, off the
coast of Denmark and 48 MW developed by EDF Energies Nouvelles Polska in
Poland.
Norwegian players Statoil and Statkraft
opened their 317-MW Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm off the coast of North
Norfolk, extending Britain's lead in installed offshore wind capacity, the
total of which is now at 2,670 MW.
Earlier, Sweden's Vattenfall opened its
150-MW Ormonde offshore wind farm and a joint venture between SSE and RWE power
started producing first power at its 500-MW Greater Gabbard project.
Britain's total installed offshore wind
capacity now represents 60 percent of the EU's total wind power capacity and is
more than three times greater than that of the region's second largest market
in Denmark.
It is projected that the emerging, huge scale
offshore sector has the potential to deliver the next 100 gigawatts of power
much faster in Europe , if Europe can
overcome its financing and grid issues.
The nascent offshore wind sector has seen
huge growth in Britain, where attractive government subsidies have driven
investments in a technology, which is expected to grow six times larger by 2020
than its current installed capacity.
Cost of off shore wind power prorject
Industry cost estimates in Europe for
installing offshore are 3 to 4 million euros per megawatt, compared with around
1.2 to 1.4 million euros for onshore.
Sri Lanka should follow Europe example :
Installation of off shore wind power projects
in a big way would provide tangible
benefits to Sri Lanka if the projects could be planned and implemented in quick
time.
Sri Lanka's
coast is ideally suited for setting up off shore power projects and
preliminary studies have indicated this. It is reported that the Centre for Wind Energy
Technology (CWET) in India plans to conduct a feasibility study in Dhanushkodi
near Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to set up offshore windmills..
Sri Lanka
may immediately constitute a special and appropriate task force to take
up the off shore wind power projects and initiate contacts with international
organizations who have the credentials and expertise in the field to forge
ahead with great sense of urgency.
 Sri Lankan government can consider setting up off shore win...){kind=link}