India Gears Up to Tap Offshore Wind Power Potential

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources India (Delhi, India)--With a view to tap the country's offshore wind energy, the Government of India has identified the Tamil Nadu and Gujarat coasts to launch two pilot wind-power projects. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the sites for the proposed projects would be selected by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

According to the "Baseline Assessment of Conditions for Offshore Wind in India," a report prepared in association with the European Union Delegation to India under the Indo-European Cooperation on Renewable Energy Program, offshore wind holds the potential for alleviating challenges in land acquisition and has the potential to be an alternative option in India's portfolio of clean, low-carbon power generation.

Preliminary assessments had earlier indicated the prospect of developing offshore wind-power projects along the coastlines of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa. The wind resource data collected for the coastlines of Rameshwaram and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat shows reasonable potential for offshore installations. It is estimated that there is enough potential to establish about 1 gigawatt (GW) of wind-power capacity each along the coastlines of Rameshwaram and Kanyakumari.

India currently has about 21 gigawatts (GW) of installed onshore wind power capacity, mainly spread across the coastal states of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Other states, such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, have substantial installed wind-power generation capacity, while the country's offshore potential still remains totally unexplored.

To develop offshore wind projects in India, an Offshore Wind Energy Steering Committee (OWESC) was constituted under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The Government of India has now expedited the finalization of a draft policy on offshore wind energy and plans to submit the final version before Parliament in a few days. MNRE, which is expected to be the nodal agency, will enter into a memorandum of understanding with various stakeholders in the public and private power sectors to float joint-venture projects to execute the policy.

To implement the offshore wind policy, the government has proposed a National Offshore Wind Energy Authority (NOWA) under MNRE. According to the draft policy, NOWA will be a single-window agency that will coordinate with all concerned agencies to facilitate necessary clearances. The draft document also specifies that the offer for blocks will be made through International Competitive Bidding (ICB) process.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.