Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is planning to invite bids for 12 GW of offshore wind capacity in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, within the next three years. First round of bids will be issued by October this year for leasing out 4 GW of offshore wind energy blocks in Tamil Nadu. However, two more bids will be issued in 2023 and 2024 for the blocks in the two states.
Bidders will go through several rounds of evaluations. They will be first gauged on their techno-commercial capabilities, and those who are found adequate in this area will be shortlisted for financial review.
Furthermore, the ministry plans to invite bids for 5 GW offshore wind energy blocks every year from 2025 and 2030.
Onshore wind capacity in India amounted to 40 GW in 2021.
India, currently, does not have offshore wind capacities but plans to reach a 30 GW capacity by 2030. Ministry has stated that the country is blessed with a coastline of about 7600 km surrounded by water on three sides and has good prospects of harnessing offshore wind energy.
In fact, the first offshore wind energy project of 1.0 GW capacity was planned in the identified zone-B off the coast of Gujarat in order to bring the economy of scale and localization of the necessary ecosystem for the offshore wind energy sector.
