Parliament Question: Development of Offshore Wind Energy

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1676 ANSWERED ON 29.07.2026 DEVELOPMENT OF OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY

1676. DR. HEMANT VISHNU SAVARA SHRI AMAR SHARADRAO KALE SHRI AVIMANYU SETHI SHRI JANARDAN MISHRA

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken any initiatives for development of Offshore Wind Energy in the country especially in Palghar district of Maharashtra;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the details of offshore wind projects proposed or under implementation along with their expected generation capacity, State-wise especially in Palghar district of Maharashtra; and

(d) the timeline fixed by the Government for commissioning of such projects? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

(a) & (b) Government has taken several initiatives for development of Offshore Wind Energy in the country. These, inter alia, include; • Notification of ‘Offshore Wind Energy Policy’ in October 2015 to provide framework for the development of offshore wind energy in the country.

• The Offshore Wind Energy Lease Rules, 2023 have been notified to regulate the grant of lease of offshore areas for development of offshore wind energy projects. • For initial phase of developments, 08 potential offshore wind zones each off the coast Tamil Nadu and Gujarat have been identified through meso-scale study.

• Installed a LiDAR off Gujarat Coast in Nov, 2017 and collected 02 years wind data.

NIWE has also conducted Geophysical, Geotechnical study off, Rapid EIA study, Oceanographic (Wave, Tide & current study) for 01 GW capacity off Gujarat coast. • Geotechnical study at three bore hole locations carried out off Tamil Nadu coast.

Further, 4 LiDARs off Tamil Nadu coast installed for wind resource measurement.

Offshore met-ocean field studies and Geophysical & Geotechnical investigation for a 500 MW capacity site off Tamil Nadu coast has also been completed. • Central Transmission Utility (CTU) has completed the planning for initial 10 GW offshore transmission capacity (05 GW each off Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coast.

• Government has launched the 'Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme for offshore wind energy projects'. • Offshore Wind has been included in the list of activities to be considered for trading of Carbon Credits under bilateral/co-operative approaches as per Article 6.2 Mechanism of Paris Agreement.

• Waiver of Inter-State Transmission (ISTS) Charges along with waiver of additional surcharges for open access consumers for offshore wind power projects commissioned on or before 31.12.2032.Further, NIWE also carried out the meso-scale study off Maharashtra coast including area adjacent to districts of Palghar to assess the offshore wind potential. The study indicates annual mean wind speeds of around 6.1–6.5 metre /second (m/s) at 150 metre above sea level (masl), which is considered below commercially viable levels (i.e. at least 7.5 m/s at 150 masl).

(c) In order to kick start the offshore Wind energy sector in the country, Government has launched the 'Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme for offshore wind energy projects' with total outlay of ₹ 7453 crore for installation and commissioning of 1 GW of offshore wind energy projects and grant for upgradation of two ports to meet logistics requirements for offshore wind energy projects. Under the scheme, the first tender for development of 500 MW offshore wind energy project off Gujarat coast issued by Solar Energy Corporation of India

(SECI) on 13.09.2024. The tender was closed on 31.07.2025 (last date of bid submission) without receipt of any bids.

(d)No offshore wind project has been awarded as on date. *****