Hanging in The Air: Parliamentary Panel Asks Govt to Expedite Policy on Repowering Old Wind Turbines

With the draft policy on repowering old wind turbines hanging fire six years after it was issued, a parliamentary committee has asked the government to get the revised plan approved as early as possible and ensure its timely implementation. The proposed policy is aimed at boosting the wind power generation in the country by “repowering the older, smaller wind turbines with higher capacity and higher efficiency turbines” for their optimum use, especially those which occupy the best wind sites.

The average life of a wind turbine is 25 years, after which its efficiency begins to decline. While a number of old wind turbines have already completed their design life, some are nearing the end.

The government initially issued the policy on the Repowering of the Wind Power Projects in August 2016. Six years later, it was revised based on the feedback from stakeholders and an updated draft was prepared and circulated for stakeholders’ comments in October 2022. However, the final policy still remains under approval.

In its latest action-taken report tabled in the Lok Sabha, the Standing Committee on Energy highlighted that it has been more than nine months since the policy was circulated for stakeholders’ comments, and it should be approved at the earliest. The committee evaluating the country’s wind power had asserted the need for repowering in its initial report last year. It has now analysed the action taken by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy on observations and recommendations it made.

WHY IS REPOWERING CRUCIAL?

According to the ministry, the target is to maximise India’s wind energy yield per square kilometre of the project area and utilise the latest state-of-the-art onshore wind turbine technologies.

Since the majority of wind-rich sites in the country have already been exploited to a large extent, replacing old and less efficient wind turbines with technologically advanced wind turbines can boost energy generation. This would also ensure maximum use of the available natural resource, land, and evacuation infrastructure.

Most of India’s wind energy potential is available in only eight states namely, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu. According to an estimate made by the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), India has a repowering potential of around 25, 406 MW considering Wind turbines below the capacity of 2 MW.

However, experts point out that the ‘repowering’ has not been able to inspire confidence among investors due to the absence of a regular policy framework. There are several executional challenges on the ground that industry players are hesitant to take on without any clear and guaranteed incentives by the government, and assured returns.

‘TAP OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY’

In its earlier report, the committee had also encouraged the exploration of offshore wind potential in coastal areas other than Gujarat and Tamil Nadu along India’s 7,600-km-long coastline after a proper environmental impact assessment. “In order to achieve the enhanced target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel based installed energy capacity by 2030, there is a need to harness every possible renewable energy resource,” the committee noted. India has committed to achieving 500 GW of non-fossil-fuel-based installed energy capacity by 2030 as part of its climate action goals.

Though the National Offshore Wind Energy Policy was notified in 2015, no offshore wind project has been established in the country to date. The government has already identified as many as eight zones each in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu as potential offshore zones, with an initial estimated potential of about 70 GW.

The ministry also issued a Strategy Paper for Offshore Wind Development in July 2022 after stakeholders’ consultation, which included a bidding trajectory of 37 GW capacity till 2030. A concept note for the Viability Gap Finance (VGF) scheme of Rs 15,608 crore for 3 GW capacity of offshore wind energy projects was sent to the Ministry of Finance for ‘in-principle’ approval to make offshore wind energy projects viable.

A draft tender document along with contractual agreements for the allocation of sea-bed lease rights for offshore wind power projects, for stakeholders’ consultation, was also issued in November 2022. The comments of stakeholders have been received and are under examination, the ministry told the panel.