India may add 10 GW of wind each year - report

Aug 12, 2014 - India'a renewables minister Piyush Goyal has suggested that India can install 10 GW of fresh wind power capacity each year, in a drive to cut dependence on fuel imports, the Economic Times said today, citing a government official.

The annual target is five times higher than the total newly added wind generation capacity in the fiscal year through March 2014. It is also more ambitious than the 18.5 GW goal that was set by the former government for the 2012-2017 period.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and local wind turbine makers will jointly assess the grid availability in six states with the highest wind potential, the unnamed government official told the newspaper.

The wind sector in India is regaining momentum after the re-introduction of the Generation-Based Incentive (GBI) for wind farms in August 2013. The planned revival of the accelerated depreciation (AD) scheme for wind farms is also seen as a growth factor in the segment. According to Madhusudan Khemka, the chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA), turbine makers will be able to meet the 10-GW-per-year target, which will in turn lower the average cost of installations. The country’s wind turbine production capacity is currently 9.5 GW and can be ramped up in a short period.

At present, India’s installed wind power capacity exceeds 21 GW.

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