CHENNAI, JAN. 26: 
Over 150 exhibitors are expected to participate in a two-day conference-cum-expo that will be organised in Chennai on March 12 and 13 by the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA), the agency's Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Sudeep Jain, told Business Line today.
Policy makers from both the Union Government and from various States will be there “to hear out the pain points from the industry”, Mr Jain said. Moreover, experts from over twenty countries are expected to participate, and this is on the basis of the information coming from the embassies of the countries, he said.
This is the second green energy expo-conference that TEDA is holding. Last year, a similar event was held by TEDA, under the name ‘Vavova 2011'.
This year's conference assumes added importance against the backdrop of the Tamil Nadu Government having disclosed its intention to cause 3,000 MW of solar energy capacity to be built up in the State by 2016. Also, this conference is being held in the aftermath of the completion of two rounds of bidding and project awards under the National Solar Mission. With that experience behind them, industry players would be keen on learning of opportunities in various states.
There is also another context to Renergy 2012. Tamil Nadu, which has the leadership position in wind energy with installed capacity accounting for about 40 per cent of all wind power capacity in the country, is losing out to States such as Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka. Tamil Nadu has a little over 6,000 MW of wind power capacity.
In 2010-11, the country added 2,400 MW of capacity and Tamil Nadu accounted for about 950 MW of it. But in 2011-12, the country is likely to see an addition of close to 3,000 MW, but Tamil Nadu would, if at all, equal its last year's performance.
The key problem is the lack of infrastructure for evacuation of wind power. A few companies (Orient Green Power, Techno Electric and CLP Holdings, to name three) have pared their plans for Tamil Nadu.
The industry would thus be keen to note what the State Government, an arm of which is holding the event, has to say about this.
mramesh@thehindu.co.in