Suzlon plans offshore wind project near Gujarat

Suzlon_wind_turbine

Indian wind turbine manufacturer Suzlon Group plans to enter the offshore wind market in India with a project in Gujarat.

The plan is part of the company’s initiative to expand base in the domestic market. Suzlon is also working to introduce in the market a new make of wind turbine, the S11, which has a 111-meter rotor blade.

The turbine is expected to increase energy production by 20 per cent, Suzlon Group Chairman and Managing Director Tulsi Tanti said.

He has also announced the company’s plan to increase production capacity of its wind park in Kutch.

“We have completed the installation of 1,100-MW windmills at the Kutch park and the rest (900 megawatts) would be completed in two years,” he said.

Press Trust of India has reported that Suzlon has been developing its capacity since it sold its German unit Senvion  to US buyout firm Centerbridge Partners for $1.1 billion.

The move was part of the company’s efforts to raise money to retire its debt.

Suzlon has paid back Rs 5,000 crore out of its Rs 16,500 crore debt (as of December 2014) and used another Rs 2,000 crore as working capital, Kirti Vagadia, the chief financial officer of the group, told PTI.

Ajith Kumar S

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