Archimedes plans wind turbine unit near Medchal

Hyderabad-based Archimedes Green Energys has drawn up plans to set up a wind turbine manufacturing unit near Medchal. This will have a capacity to make about 600 to 1,000 units per month. These turbines will be smaller in size and can be fitted on the roofs, said Archimedes CEO Gajjala Suryaprakash. 

It also has plans to set up about 20 wind turbines in public places for demonstration as well as meeting the energy needs partially using clean and renewable energy, he said.

Currently, it is using a leased facility to make them. The company has about 20 demo projects in multiple locations and some tests are also being carried out in Korea. One of the two variants the company makes will also have solar panels to harness the solar energy.

“The wind turbines are ideal for domestic and commercial users. They can support about 50 to 60 per cent of energy needs. These can be used off grid as well as connected to the grid. We want to work with the Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation and install these turbines in key locations in the city,” he said.

“Right now there is no subsidy. We feel a subsidy should be given for those intending to install rooftop wind projects. Such a scheme is in place for solar modules.



Bringing them under the subsidy ambit will give a push to the demand,” he said.

With subsidy component not factored yet, it could not arrive at the per unit generation cost nor the cost of the turbine, he said. Publicly available data about wind is used to decide on the location. “We want to use hydrogen cell for evolving energy storage solutions later,” Suryaprakash said.

The turbine designs are bird-safe as the blades rotate in an anti-clock direction and ensure that the bird is not sucked into them. The life of wind turbine will be about 30 to 40 years and would be almost maintenance-free and operate in all weathers,” he said describing it as a ‘Made in India’ product. The company secured a Korean grant to demonstrate and study performance of the Archimedes Wind Turbine in southern States of India.

The product is the outcome of 20 years of research and development of the Dutch national Marinus Mieremet, who perfected the technology, Suryaprakash added.

They will be in 36Kg and 112kg sizes and will be made of composite materials. The design mimics a rose with the three circular blades wrapping around one another. The turbine can be connected to grid or can be used off-grid.