Composites, particularly fibre reinforced plastics (FRP), find a ready outlet in the Green Energy sector. I used the word “Green Energy” here to indicate all those sources of energy that can be produced without polluting the environment. They include energy generated from wind, sunlight, waves, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), biomass and hydro projects. Though environmentalists may find that even some of these energy conversions are not “that green”, the energy generation can generally be accepted as environment friendly. In India, the Ministry of Non-conventional and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is looking after the development of green energy.
Composites are playing a substantial role in harnessing the energy from these sources. For example, generation of power from wind is fast developing at an annual 30 % growth on a global level and the growth in India is also close to the global average. With the use of wind turbine blades, nacelle covers and other components, FRP plays a major role in this growth. About 15 % of composites produced in India go to this development which indicates how important this sector is for composites industry. India has a potential to generate 45000 MW power from land based turbines alone and we have so far harnessed only about 10300 MW power. There is good scope for further expansion in this sector. Since wind turbines are made for 20 years' operational life, the replacement of towers at the end of service life with new turbines can make this a continuous business for composites. Automated blade production also has come into use for speeding up the production. FRP blades can also be used for small roof mounted generators and for running pumps.
Generation of solar power is another area where composites have several applications. FRP pipes are required for OTEC projects and FRP has several applications in wave energy conversion. Solar cookers, lighting and pumps are other applications where energy is directly used instead of conversion. Conservation of energy received from these sources is equally important since energy saved is energy produced. Composites can have several innovative uses for generation, conversion and preservation of energy.
In spite of all these potential applications in energy sector, the composites industry and the composites industry associations do not provide the much needed support to this sector. Man power training to have quality production and design is essential to supply the required engineers, designers and skilled workers. Practically no test facility exists for testing composite materials or products. Innovative products and automated manufacturing are required for advancing the manufacturing processes. There are 12 to 14 manufacturers in India for wind energy conversion. The composites industry associations have to work closely with them to build an excellent technological base in the country for wind energy applications. If this is not done, India has to always look to other countries for help.
Is such a situation good either for the country or for the composites industry?
Dr. N.G. NAIR
Honorary Editor
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