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Rajasthan is set to attract an investment of Rs 8,000 crore in renewable energy sector, with 14 companies proposing projects to tap power from wind and biomass. Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RREC) Chairman and Managing Director Rajeev Swaroop said that the state government has signed memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with 14 power companies to set up power plants in the field of wind biomass energy.

According to sources, there would be five wind energy projects in Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jodhpur with a generation capacity of 1,600 Mw while 8 biomass projects would be set up in Sirohi, Baran, Tonk, Alwar, Sawai Madhopur, Kota, Nagaur, Hanumangarh and Jalore districts.

Rajasthan, at present, has an installed capacity of 490 Mw in wind energy and 46.3 Mw in biomass. With the commissioning of proposed projects, the installation capacity would increase to 2,150 Mw in renewable energy sources.

"Suzlon Gujarat Wind Park, with a proposed investment of Rs 4,910 crore leads the table followed by Enercon (India) and Wish Wind Infrastructure with an investment of Rs 1,072 crore and Rs 888 crore respectively," a source said.

These initiatives in wind electricity are the result of Wind Power Programme (WPP), which was started in the Sixth Plan in 1983-84. The WPP aims at survey and assessment of wind resources, setting up demonstration projects, and provisions of incentives to make wind electricity competitive.

Wind energy has been the world's fastest growing renewable energy source growing at a rate of 28 per cent in the last decade and has emerged as an option for grid quality power generation.

Courtsey- Press Trust of India