Indian Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), which was recently authorized as the Nodal Ministry for the use of offshore areas within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), made the National Offshore Wind Energy Policy document available to the stakeholders and general public yesterday.
Mark Leybourne, Senior Engineer at IT Power Consulting , which has been working on projects supporting the development of offshore wind in India for the past few years, told Offshore WIND : “Recently we have commenced a UK Government FCO funded project that will guide the MNRE in the formation of a mechanism to issue concession rights for India’s first offshore wind project.”
The policy will ensure offshore wind energy development in the country, including setting up of offshore wind power projects and research and development activities.
Preliminary assessments along the Indian coastline have shown potential for the development of offshore wind power, especially off the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
Offshore WIND Staff; Image: Greenpeace/Illustration