India could install 23.7 GW of wind capacity in the 2022-2026 period with supportive national and state actions, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) said on Wednesday as it released its latest Indian outlook with MEC Intelligence (MEC+).
The conservative scenario is for 15 GW of wind additions over the five years, while base case installations are estimated at 19.4 GW.
According to the report, India’s onshore wind growth has slowed down in recent years due to the pandemic, supply chain disruptions and legacy issues related to land and grid availability, and now needs kickstarting.
“To seize this enormous opportunity, India must focus on three areas: dialogue between the central government and the states to foster consensus building; delivery to help match timelines and targets, and the potential for India to be a destination for the global wind manufacturers and suppliers,” said GWEC chief executive Ben Backwell.
While wind accounts for a large part of India’s installed renewable energy capacity as of March 2022 -- 37.7%, or 40.1 GW, it has an estimated potential of over 600 GW of onshore capacity at 120 metres (394 ft) hub height and 174 GW of fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind potential.
Sidharth Jain of MEC+ said that despite challenges, wind’s role as a supplement to solar energy increased in 2021. “Wind solar hybrid project PPAs [power purchase agreements] have grown within corporate procurement and DISCOMs [distribution companies] contracts, targeted toward meeting peak power needs,” he added.
Between 2021 and the release of the report, 2.7 GW of SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India) wind/solar hybrid tenders and 3.5 GW of standalone wind projects were awarded, said Sumant Sinha, chairperson GWEC India and chief executive of ReNew Power.
The report makes five recommendations for the Indian market: strengthen consensus and coordination between central and state governments; promote technology exchange and alignment to the global wind supply chain; exploit repowering opportunities; address the legacy challenges which have disrupted the development of wind energy; and finalise and implement offshore wind development roadmaps.
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Wind turbines in India. Featured Image: OlegD/Shutterstock.com
