NHPC Seeks EoI For India’s First Off-Shore Wind Power Project

Offshore Wind Projects Will Need Nod From 6 Ministries, Say Govt Rules

The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC Ltd) has issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) to attract global entities for the establishment of India’s inaugural offshore wind energy plant. This initiative aligns with NHPC’s broader strategy of achieving over 27 GW in renewable energy projects by 2030, supporting India’s climate objectives for the same year. The EoI serves as an initial stage in the tendering process, allowing companies to declare their interest in participating before progressing to formal bidding procedures.

NHPC Ltd’s energy transition plan explicitly outlines its intention to enter the Offshore Wind power sector, exploring diverse opportunities in Offshore Wind power project development. The EoI document emphasizes NHPC’s desire to collaborate with firms possessing extensive expertise in global Offshore Wind power projects.

Given the absence of existing Offshore Wind power projects in India, NHPC aims to partner with pre-approved companies to prepare and submit bids for government-invited projects. These collaborative efforts will adopt the Build-Own-Operate model.

Beyond cultivating internal capabilities, this initiative aims to facilitate the creation of solutions for executing and operating offshore wind energy projects. Additionally, it is anticipated to pave the way for global companies to enter the Renewable Energy Business in India and establish their presence in the sector.

India & Renewables

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India, boasting a coastline stretching 7500 kilometers, is eager to harness the potential of untapped renewable energy. The National Offshore Wind Energy Policy was formulated in 2015 paving the way for exploring offshore wind energy possibilities. An report says that India holds a considerable potential of approximately 70 GW in offshore wind energy across eight identified zones off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu alone. Even MNRE Minister RK Singh had said that bids for the development of 2000-MW of offshore wind energy in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat will be floated (1000-MW in each state).

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A revised development strategy, introduced in August 2023, outlined plans for bidding on the installation of 37 GW capacity for offshore wind projects.

Both the governments of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have agreed to procure power at Rs 4 per unit from the initial offshore wind energy projects along their respective coasts.

NHPC’s Rising Stature

NHPC, a leading global player in the power sector, currently boasts a total installed capacity of around 7100 MW. A significant portion, specifically 6971 MW, is derived from 22 Hydro Power Stations, contributing nearly 14.88 percent to India’s total installed hydro capacity. The remaining 76 MW is split between two Solar Power Projects and a recently ventured Wind Power Project.

On a global scale, India currently ranks fourth in renewable energy installed capacity, fourth in wind power capacity, and fifth in solar power capacity. Anticipated for 2023 is the installation of approximately 13.5 GW of renewable energy capacity, with an associated investment of about Rs 74,000 crore.