Roadmap for India’s Offshore Wind Energy

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