Wind Industry Experts Bat For Extending PLI For Component Makers 

Wind Industry Experts Bat For Extending PLI For Component Makers 

Experts working in the wind energy sector claimed that to expedite the growth of wind energy in the country, the government should consider giving incentives to the manufacturers of components and sub-components of wind turbines. 

During a recent press conference in New Delhi, Amit Kansal, CEO and Managing Director of Senvion India, an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of wind turbines, voiced his demand. Other wind energy industry players and experts joined him during the meeting. He also told the media that capital was not an issue for the industry’s growth in the country.  

“On the manufacturing side, the wind energy sector does not have as attractive paybacks from the government as solar. And I am not here demanding a PLI for wind OEMs. India currently has a manufacturing capacity of 10 GW of capacity. We can scale it up to 20 GW. Capital is now an issue for wind energy. But we do not have the 10 GW sub-component capacity, for which we depend on imports. It includes imports of glass, carbon fiber and others for turbines,” Kansal said.

He said the component makers of wind turbines need support and incentives, which can help boost the Make in India ecosystem of wind power system manufacturing. 

“I will ask the government for a PLI for the sub-component manufacturers, inviting the global manufacturers to manufacture in India to encourage them,” he said. He also said that wind turbine manufacturing became cost-effective globally due to several technological advancements. He, however, said that wind energy is now becoming a dependable technology.

Chennai To Host Windergy India Meet This October

Also Read

“India can now produce wind energy turbines at a very optimal cost today. India can produce the lowest-cost turbines in the world. One is because of the localization. We can make 100% turbines in India. Everything is available in India-generators, gearbox and others. The industry and its capacity have increased. I am not averse to importing. We do import in case capacity goes up,” he said. 

H1 Global Wind Turbine Orders At High Of 69.5 GW

Also Read

The industry experts also appreciated the Indian government’s thrust and plans for offshore wind systems. DV Giri, Chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Association (IWTA), and Balram Mehta, COO of Renew Power and Kansal, said India needed offshore wind for its energy security. 

Giri said that India needed such alternative systems as the LCOE for offshore wind systems is lower besides the advantage of better PLF compared to onshore wind projects. 

“Land is a finite source. We will need clean power for green hydrogen for electrolyzers in the coming days. We have to start from somewhere,” he said.