Indo-UK Wind Task Force Established: Pralhad Joshi
Union New & Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi announced that India possesses more than 272 GW of electricity generation capacity from non-fossil fuels, which comprises 141 GW from solar and 55 GW from wind energy, during the launch of the 'India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce'.
This holds importance considering India's ambitious goal of achieving 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and a net-zero emission target by 2070.
UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and the British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, attended the event.
Commenting on the formal inauguration of the India-UK Offshore Wind Taskforce, Joshi mentioned that in the current fiscal year, India has increased its solar capacity by over 35 GW and wind capacity by 4.61 GW.
He also mentioned that last year India reached 50 percent of its total installed power capacity from non-fossil sources, five years ahead of our Nationally Determined Contribution pledge.
"Currently, India's installed non-fossil capacity exceeds 272 GW, including over 141 GW from solar and 55 GW from wind for perspective, nearly 3 million households have enjoyed the advantages of rooftop solar through PMSGMBY in under 2 years." "We have installed solar panels on 2.1 million pumps through another initiative known as PM-KUSUM," he mentioned.
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The minister highlighted that these figures indicate a distinct policy approach, organizational collaboration, and the trust of investors and businesses.
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However, he stated that the upcoming stage of our transition should enhance reliability, grid stability, industrial depth, and energy security.
He mentioned that offshore wind plays a crucial role in the upcoming phase, and several promising areas have been identified along the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
Transmission planning for an initial offshore evacuation capacity of 10 GW has been finalized, with 5 GW allocated for Gujarat and 5 GW for Tamil Nadu.
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A Viability Gap Funding program has been launched to assist initial projects, with a total expenditure of Rs 7,453 crore, roughly equivalent to 710 million pounds, he mentioned.
"Offshore wind is widely recognized as one of the most intricate areas within the global energy transition." "It requires specialized port facilities, maritime logistics, strong seabed leasing agreements, defined risk distribution, and financially viable commercial frameworks," Joshi stated.