In its continued effort to produce " green energy' non dependent on fossilised imported oil, Hayleys Group is currently building a wind power farm on the Western coast of Sri Lanka, the company has announced. The company's energy sector chief Mervyn de Silva said, a 10 MW wind power plant is being built at Nirmalapura at Kalpitiya in the Puttalam district to augment Hayleys' already existing green energy power generating plants like the hydropower stations.

Scientists are increasingly concerned about the number of birds killed by running into power lines and wind turbines, said Al Manville, a senior wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but there are reports of success in preventing such incidents

IF you want to have round-the-clock electricity, then you may install domestic wind turbines in your household. Coimbatore-based International Consultant and Management Services (ICMS) will provide the technology for installation of ICMS-UE series domestic wind turbines. The turbines will convert wind energy into electrical power for domestic use. "The machine comes under four different models namely 600 watt, 1500, 3300 and 4200 watt, all useful for Indian standard house utensils and costs between Rs 80,000 and Rs 3 lakh,'' said R C Ravi, director of ICMS.

Finally, a deal with Europe

Electricity consumption in Turkey is rising at between 8 and 10 per cent a year, and is expected to increase at much the same rate for at least the next two decades - creating a big headache for officials. Current estimates predict that, with demand rising faster than the pace at which power plants are being constructed, the country could face a power shortage.

Suzlon Energy, the world's fifth-biggest wind turbine maker, is among six others who have signed an agreement with the US government to help the world's biggest economy generate 20 per cent of its electricty using wind power by 2030. The pact may aid the Pune-based company win more orders for power equipment and improve manufacturing technology.

CR Bhattacharjee

Eight of Shell's wind projects are in the US. Royal Dutch Shell believes the future of wind power is in North America, where it is redoubling its efforts after pulling out of the large-scale London Array wind farm project in the UK. "The European theatre has been built out,'' Dick Williams, president of Shell Wind Energy, told the Financial Times.