New Delhi: A session titled ‘A Leap Into Offshore’ was held at the 2nd Global RE-INVEST India-ISA Partnership Renewable Energy Investors Meet & Expo. Moderated by Mr Steve Sawyer, Secretary General, Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the session saw top global experts lauding India’s 30 GW offshore wind industry target by 2030.
Mr Morten Dyrholm, Global Senior Vice President, Marketing, Public Affairs and Communication, Vestas said: “We should indeed applaud the Indian government to set the bar high. We are very optimistic but India needs a fresh approach because we cannot copy-paste the European example here.” Mr Morten Bæk, Vice Minister, Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate, Denmark too called India’s 30 GW offshore target “an ambitious and impressive one.”
The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has called for ‘Expression of Interest’ for the first offshore wind energy project of India, a 1000 MW offshore wind energy project in Gulf of Khambat, off the coast of Gujarat. MNRE plans to install at least 5 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2022.
Mr Raj Gopal, Principal Secretary-Energy and Petrochemical Department, Government of Gujarat, urged everyone to look at the OFTO model. “The on-shore wind sites are getting saturated and the advantages of off-shore energy are evident. Developers need to collaborate and bring synergy. We also need to think of storage.”
Mr Rajnish Sharma, Technology Director, Wind & Low Carbon Solutions, Equinor shared “there is a lot of drive in corporate India combined with passion and yes-we-can-do mentality. However, it is also important to have a realistic timeline.”
Mr Bhanu Pratap Yadav, Joint Secretary, MNRE remarked that India is moving cautiously, but firmly in the direction towards offshore winds.
Mr Ulrik Stridbæk, VP, Head of Regulatory Affairs, Ørsted Wind Power agreed saying: “The Indian government and policy makers are on the right path as they have set clear targets. The scenario is very promising. The clarity and transparency is helpful for us developers. Off shore wind power is the shooting star in the renewable energy sector and it is competing with conventional technologies and driving cost reduction.”
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