How Much Wind Power Is Available In India?
Renewable energy is crucial for India to meet its growing energy demand in a sustainable manner. With a population of over 1.3 billion people, India is the world’s third largest energy consumer. Developing renewable energy can help India ensure energy access for its citizens while reducing dependence on fossil fuels and mitigating climate change impacts.
Wind power presents a significant renewable energy opportunity for India given the country’s vast wind energy potential. India has the fourth largest installed wind power capacity in the world after China, the United States and Germany. The Indian government aims to install 175 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2022, of which 60 GW is slated to come from wind power. Realizing the country’s wind capacity potential requires focused policy initiatives and investments.
Wind Power Potential
India has tremendous potential for wind energy generation, both onshore and offshore. According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), India’s onshore wind potential at 120m hub height is estimated at 695.5 GW [1]. The Indian government has set a target of 140 GW of wind power capacity by 2030, with 30 GW expected from offshore wind [2].
The states with the highest wind power potential are Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. These states have wind speeds greater than 6.5m/s at 80m height, which allows for efficient wind power generation [3]. Offshore, regions along the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have been identified as having strong offshore wind power potential.
Installed Wind Capacity
India has seen rapid growth in installed wind capacity over the past decade, becoming one of the world’s leaders in wind power. As of 2022, India had 41.9 GW of installed wind capacity, according to Statista. This represents a nearly 6-fold increase from 2009, when wind capacity stood at just 7.8 GW.
The growth in India’s wind power capacity has been driven by supportive government policies like tax breaks, subsidies, and purchase guarantees. States like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka lead in installed capacity. While the onshore wind market is maturing, India is now looking to expand into offshore wind farms as the next phase of growth.
Wind Energy Production
India produced 68.29 TWh of electricity from wind power in fiscal year 2021-22, accounting for 4.38% of total electricity generation in the country.[1] Wind power generation has grown rapidly in India over the past decade, with total wind power output increasing from 3.5 TWh in 2009 to 68.29 TWh in 2021.[2]
The installed wind power capacity in India was 40.1 GW as of March 2022.[3] Capacity factors for wind power plants in India have averaged around 22-25% in recent years.[1] This is lower than capacity factors in Europe and North America, which often exceed 30%. The lower capacity factors in India are partly due to lower wind speeds and different wind patterns compared to other major wind markets.[2]
Wind Energy Share
Wind energy accounted for over 10% of India’s total installed electricity capacity as of 2022. According to Statista, the share of wind energy in India’s electricity mix was 20.5% in 2022, up from 15.2% in 2021.[1] The wind power sector has seen rapid growth in India over the past decade. The Indian government has set ambitious targets to reach 140 GW of installed wind capacity by 2030 as part of its commitment to increase the share of renewable energy.[2]
The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) estimates that wind power could account for up to 20% of India’s electricity mix by 2030 if the growth trend continues. With supportive policies and investments in grid integration, wind energy is poised to play a major role in India’s renewable energy future and help the country meet its climate goals.
Wind Industry
India has developed a robust domestic wind energy industry over the past few decades. Major companies involved in wind power in India include Suzlon, Siemens Gamesa, Vestas, Inox Wind and GE Renewable Energy. Suzlon is one of the leading wind turbine manufacturers in India with over 50% market share. The company has manufacturing facilities in Daman, Pondicherry and Gujarat (1).
Other major wind turbine manufacturers in India include Siemens Gamesa, Vestas, Inox Wind and GE. There has been a gradual shift towards domestic manufacturing of wind turbine components in India. The level of domestic content required has been steadily increased over the years. Currently over 90% of the components used in utility-scale wind turbines installed in India are domestically manufactured (2).
Wind Farms
India has numerous wind farms located across the country, especially in wind-rich states like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Some of the largest wind farms in India include:
Jaisalmer Wind Park in Rajasthan is one of the largest wind farms in India with a total capacity of 1,064 MW. It is spread across villages in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur [1].
Muppandal Wind Farm in Tamil Nadu is the largest wind farm in India with a total capacity of 1,500 MW. The wind farm is spread across the districts of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari [2].
Brahmanvel Wind Farm in Gujarat has an installed capacity of 630 MW. It is located in Jamnagar and Devbhoomi Dwarka districts [3].
Vankusawade Wind Park in Maharashtra has a capacity of 504 MW. It is spread across villages in Satara and Solapur districts.
Theni Wind Farm in Tamil Nadu has a capacity of 500 MW. It is spread across Periyakulam and Uthamapalayam taluks.
Offshore Wind
India has a vast offshore wind energy potential, estimated at about 70,000 MW along the country’s 7,600 km coastline. However, offshore wind power development is still at a nascent stage in India.
The Indian government is taking steps to promote offshore wind projects. In September 2021, Power Minister R.K. Singh announced that the government will provide grants for offshore wind and energy storage projects to help bring down tariffs (Livemint, 2021). The government is also working with the World Bank on a roadmap to scale up offshore wind in India (Papageorgiou, 2020).
India aims to have 5 GW of offshore wind installations by 2022 and 30 GW by 2030. The country’s first offshore wind project, a 1 GW farm off the coast of Gujarat, is expected to be commissioned by 2023.
Challenges
India faces some key challenges in scaling up wind power capacity and production. Two major issues are grid integration and other obstacles.
Integrating large amounts of wind power into the electrical grid poses difficulties. Wind power output can fluctuate based on wind variability. This creates challenges in maintaining grid stability and managing power flows. Upgrades are needed to strengthen grid infrastructure and flexibility.
Other obstacles include lack of transmission capacity in wind-rich states, land acquisition issues, lack of wind forecasting systems, and evacuation infrastructure limitations. Regulatory and policy uncertainty also hampers growth. Addressing these barriers is essential for India to tap its full wind energy potential.
Future Outlook
The Indian government has set ambitious targets for wind energy capacity by 2030. The National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy aims to reach 60 GW of wind power capacity by 2022 and 140 GW by 2030. This is part of India’s larger goal of reaching 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 as part of its commitment to climate change mitigation under the Paris Agreement.
Wind power capacity in India is expected to grow rapidly in the coming decade to meet these targets. According to projections, India could potentially install an average of 8-10 GW of new wind energy capacity every year until 2030. The government is aiming to incentivize the growth of the wind power sector through supportive policies, subsidies and initiatives like offshore wind auctions. The majority of wind capacity growth is expected to come from onshore wind, but offshore wind will also begin to play an increasing role.
To sustain this growth trajectory, overcoming challenges around land acquisition, grid integration, transmission infrastructure and finance will be critical. But with ambitious policy support and declining costs of wind power, the future outlook for wind energy in India remains promising. India is expected to become a leading wind energy producer globally and play a major part in the country’s clean energy transition.
