Review of wind energy utilization in South Asia

Due to huge population and economic growth, the demand for power and energy is increasing rapidly in most Asian countries especially in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan where the power generation is based mainly on fossil fuel. Power generation from renewable energy sources especially wind energy has not been well utilised in South Asia. In comparison, European countries and countries in North America have made significant progress in wind energy utilisation for power generation. Scant information on utilisation of renewable energy for power generation in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India is currently available in the public domain. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to undertake a comparative analysis of wind energy utilisation for power generation in South Asian countries. The analysis includes current power generation by fuel types and the government initiatives and policies on wind energy utilisation. The study indicates that India is significantly ahead in wind energy utilisation compared to other two countries Bangladesh and Pakistan. The main obstacle for utilising wind energy is the lack of clear policy and government initiatives. However, all three countries have ambitious plans for wind energy utilisation in the future. (C) 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the International Energy Foundation