UPSC Articles
Roadmap for India’s Offshore Wind Energy
Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III – Renewable Energy
In news Recently, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has set a target of installing 5 GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2022 and 30 GW by 2030.
- India can generate 127 GW of offshore wind energy with its 7,600 km of coastline.
About Offshore Wind Energy:
- Wind energy today typically comes in two different “types”:
- Onshore wind farms which are large installations of wind turbines located on land
- Offshore wind farms which are deployment of wind farms inside the water bodies. They utilise the sea winds to generate electricity.
- Offshore wind farms either use fixed-foundation turbines or floating wind turbines.
- Offshore wind farms must be at least 200 nautical miles from the shore and 50 feet deep in the ocean.
- The produced electricity is returned to shore through cables buried in the ocean floor.
What is the Status of Wind Energy in India?
- India’s electricity generation from wind reached 39.2 gigawatts (GW) a year in March 2021.
- An addition of another 20 GW over the next five years is expected to happen soon.
- The compound annual growth rate for wind generation has been 11.39% between 2010 and 2020, and for installed capacity, it has been 8.78%.
- More than 95% of commercially exploitable resources are located in seven states: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
News Source: DTE
