India has 80.6 GW of untapped wind power potential

Dec 2, 2014 - India had 22,167 MW of installed wind power capacity up to October 2014, out of an estimated total potential of 102,788 MW at 80-metre (262.5 ft) height, the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) said yesterday.

The state of Gujarat has 3,551 MW of installed wind capacity and 31,520 MW of untapped potential. Andhra Pradesh comes second with 13,603 MW of untapped potential and just 894 MW of achieved capacity up to October. Below is a table showing the wind power potential and installed capacity of separate states.

The country’s 22,167 MW of operational wind parks can produce some 38 billion kWh of electricity annually at a plant load factor of 20%, MNRE calculates. The minister for power, coal and new and renewable energy, Piyush Goyal, noted in a statement that India has a target of 15,000 MW under its 12th five-year plan, from 2012 to 2017. It installed 10,259 MW of wind capacity between 2007 and 2012, surpassing its target of 9,000 MW for that five-year period.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!