Buoyed by strong government policies and concerted industry efforts, India is poised to become a global wind energy exporter by 2022, ahead of China, creating over 2 million jobs, according to Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA).
The Financial Year 2016-17 (FY17) saw wind power capacity addition of over 5,000 MW, which was highest ever in India during a single year and exceeded the target by 38%. According to industry estimates, achievement of revised targets would require investments in the range of Rs. 3 lac crore. The Government has already awarded 7,500 MW and another 11,500 MW is in the pipeline. Further 10,000 MW each will be rolled out in FY19 and FY20.
Speaking on the occasion of Global Wind Day celebrations organized by IWTMA, Anand Kumar IAS, Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), "India would endeavor to set the RE capacity of around 227 GW as against the target of 175 GW by 2022. Further, the government has also set a target of 5 GW by 2025 and 30 GW offshore by 2030. With over 34 GW installations, the Indian wind sector has demonstrated significant progress on enabling India's COP21 commitment. We are confident, with the emerging areas of Wind-Solar Hybrid, Offshore, combined with revised onshore wind energy target, India is transitioning to lead the way in wind energy. In the long term, by 2030, considering the increase in demand at a modest rate of six percent, we will need around 860 GWs of installed capacity. More than 60 percent (500+ GWs) of this will be from renewables, excluding large hydro's. In renewables about 350 GW will come from Solar, 140 GW from Wind and rest from biomass and hydro."
In May 2018 MNRE had issued National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy for efficient utilization of transmission infrastructure and land. The government has also issued guidelines, and RfS for the first 2,500 MW Wind-Solar hybrid as Green Field project.
Kumar further added, "The introduction of the bidding process has contributed to transparency and reduction in per unit cost of produced electricity. In our quest to realise Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's dream of a clean energy future for the ‘New India', we have set up a target of 80 GW and beyond for wind by 2022."
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