Shimla, Jan 22 (IANS): Public sector hydropower major Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd's (SJVNL) maiden wind energy project in Maharashtra has started generation, a senior company official said here Wednesday.

"Fifteen of the 56 wind power turbines of 47.6 MW Khirvire project in Ahmednagar district have started generating energy," SJVNL deputy general manager Vijay Verma told IANS.

The project, with an annual energy generation of 85.65 million units of electricity, would be fully commissioned by March this year, he said.

For its commissioning, SJVNL has entered into an agreement with Spanish company Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica.

SJVNL is a joint venture between the central and the Himachal Pradesh governments. The former holds 74.5 per cent stake, while the remaining 25.5 per cent is held by the state government.

However, the central government sold 10 percent equity in May 2010.

SJVNL's maiden project in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh started generation in 2004-05.