Augmenting Offshore Wind Power

Why in news?

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has recently declared revised targets for offshore wind power capacity addition.

What is the recent move?

• The National Off-Shore Wind Policy was notified in 2015.
• The recently firmed up offshore wind power target is 5 GW by 2022 and 30 GW by 2030.
• MNRE had earlier invited Expressions of Interest (EoI).
• This was for the first 1 GW offshore wind power plant off the Gujarat coast.
• About 35 major players, global as well as local, in the offshore wind energy sector responded.
• The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) is designated the official agency to develop offshore wind power.
• Challenge - There are difficulties in installing large wind power turbines in open seas.
• As, offshore wind turbines are of much larger dimensions and capacities than onshore turbines.

What are the relative advantages?

• Offshore wind power requires a higher initial cost.
• However, it has several benefits over its onshore counterpart.
• Power output from these plants is steady, almost free from interruption.
• In fact, it tends to increase a bit in the evenings to coincide with peak consumer demand.
• Per unit power production is relatively high and the maintenance cost is low.
• India also has a strong wind power equipment manufacturing base, although it needs a revamp.
• Importantly, offshore windmills do not need land.
• So, land acquisition, a major challenge for most terrestrial infrastructure projects is ruled out.
• Offshore wind power is, therefore, ideally suited for a land-short country like India.

What are the prospects?

• Potential - Preliminary studies have shown good wind potential in both southern tip of the Indian peninsula and the west coast.
• There is substantial scope off the coasts of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Global - Globally, 17-18 GW of offshore wind power has been installed.
• UK, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands and China are the leading countries.
• There has also been a fall in offshore wind tariff in the recent years in some of these markets.
• Investment - Government has assured a level-playing field to all investors, domestic and international.
• There is thus a favourable power tariffs and policy environment for private investment.

• Cost - There is constant inflow of new cost-cutting and output-enhancing technologies.
• This would improve the sector's competitiveness as against the conventional power sector.
• This is expected to sustain the economic viability of these ventures.

What is the way forward?

• The energy generation potential of India's oceanic winds has largely remained untapped.
• India, a late starter, needs to move faster to narrow the gap and meet its non-conventional energy goals.
• Measures are essential to ensure that tariffs do not fall below the remunerative threshold.
• Otherwise, the investors would lose interest in offshore wind power.
• Also, more intensive sea wind zones may be discovered in future.

Source: BusinessLine, Business Standard