Clear pipeline for India’s first offshore wind parks based on Danish experiences
The conceptual build-out plan proposes identification of 14 sites in Tamil Nadu (south east India) and 1 site in Gujarat (north west India) corresponding to the planned upcoming auctions announced in the Strategy Paper for Offshore Wind, released by Government of India in July 2022.
Moreover, the report puts forward four initial sites in Tamil Nadu for the first auction of 4 GW equivalent seabed in 2022-2023 for leasing to carry out required studies & surveys and subsequent project development under an open access model (under model-3 of the strategy paper). Adopting a relatively high capacity density would allow for up to 25 GW across the identified areas in Tamil Nadu alone. This provides a clear pipeline and contribution to the 30 GW government target for offshore wind in 2030.
In addition to spatial planning, the necessary infrastructure also needs to be in place to secure the large quantities of offshore wind. In this regard, a dedicated port infrastructure study identifies a set of ports off the Tamil Nadu and Gujarat coasts that fulfil basic navigation and access criteria to support installation of wind turbines and foundations. However, these ports require significant upgrades in key infrastructure such as quaysides and yards, which are necessary for the marshalling of wind turbine components. Therefore, a set of development alternatives are proposed for each port.
About the Indo-Danish Centre of Excellence for Offshore Wind and Renewable Energy
Together, India and Denmark has launched a knowledge hub; The Centre of Excellence for Offshore Wind and Renewable Energy (COE). This is formalised as a joint initiative between the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) as the host of the COE and the Danish Energy Agency (DEA) as support. The COE is an initiative under the India-Danish Energy Partnership. By bringing together industry, public authorities and civil society, the COE will play a crucial role in facilitating and accelerating the implementation of the Indian offshore wind strategy.
Through collaboration across various stakeholders, the COE aims to create a transparent, facilitating and enabling environment for offshore wind in India. This is done by developing and disseminating best available practices, methods and tools in order to minimize risk and reduce the overall cost of offshore projects.