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Wind energy in India is on a revival path driven by the need to diversify renewables’ portfolio and favourable cost economics as evidenced by wind being the largest component in 15- 16GW of RE bids issued so far during 1HFY24. Given the domestic manufacturing value chain and conducive policies, the industry is confident of exceeding 4GW of annual capacity additions amidst the challenges of land acquisition, ROW and timely transmission connectivity. We attended the 2-day 5th International Wind Energy Trade Fair & Conference recently organised in Chennai and got the opportunity to hear various industry leaders, policymakers and researchers.

Key takeaways:

* In India, 15-16GW of RE bids have been issued so far during 1HFY24, with wind the largest component.

* After the expiry of the ISTS waiver in Jun'25, wind energy will become more attractive financially.

Hybrid projects can deliver a capacity utilisation factor (CUF) of nearly 60% compared to 20-30% for standalone wind or solar projects.

* There is a growing appetite for RTC green power from emerging demand centres such as data centres, electric mobility and prospective hydrogen production units

* Solar-Wind-Storage project is increasingly becoming cost-effective with a tariff of ~INR 4- 5 against INR 5-6 for coal-fired power plants.

* The average size of WTG has increased from 1.5MW in 2010 to 2.5MW in 2023. The industry is chasing higher and larger turbines. Ensuring design robustness through validation is necessary to avoid unpleasant experiences as seen in some cases in Europe.

* India may have 15-16GW of declared nameplate capacity. But, the capacity with the 'right' models is not enough.

* Global OEMs don't prefer to sell in the Indian market due to extremely competitive prices. However, Chinese players like Envision and Sany Wind Energy are building capabilities in India.

* Tamil Nadu is working on its wind repowering policy incorporating suggestions on the draft from industry stakeholders.

* Land acquisition, ROW (right of way) and transmission infrastructure remain the biggest challenges in scaling wind installation.

* India is likely to have surplus power during the morning and deficit during the evening, going forward.

* Industry opinion varied widely on the quantum and expected commissioning of wind energy projects - it ranged from 4GW to 6GW annually in the next 3-4 years.

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