SECI Issues Bids For 4 GW Offshore Wind Projects Near Tamil Nadu

World Adds 10.8 GW Of New Offshore Wind Capacity In 2023

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has invited bids for the development of offshore wind energy of a total capacity of 4 GW. The bids invited are for four blocks of 1 GW each on an open access basis, for the development of offshore wind power projects off the coast of Tamil Nadu, through international competitive bidding.

Under this arrangement, the developers who win the bid for each block will set up 1 GW offshore wind energy capacity and sell electricity directly to consumers under the open access regime. No Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is given under the open access bids, and the Renewable Energy generated will be sold to entities such as industries that are currently in the high-tariff band, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said in a media statement, issued today.

Under the scope of work, SECI tender said, “Development of the transmission system to deliver the power at the offshore
substation and grid connectivity and long-term access/ access to the grid shall be in the scope of the OWPD. The energy generated from offshore wind power projects may be consumed in captive mode or sold to a third party/ies (including on a merchant basis) or else on the power exchange, “the SECI tender said.

“The advantages of offshore wind are many. It does away with constraints of availability of land; it has a higher Capacity Utilization Function (CUF) – approaching almost 50%.  Further, the efficiencies of offshore wind turbines are higher than those of on-shore wind turbines; each turbine is of 15 MW,” MNRE said in a statement.