Wind Energy

• Wind energy is the energy of moving air
• Wind turbines convert wind energy into mechanical power
• This mechanical power is further converted to electric power
• Wind energy is a significant source of renewable energy in India
• Largest wind farms are located in the US, India, and China
• Five nations (Germany, USA, Denmark, Spain, and India) make up 80% of the world’s installed wind energy capacity
• Wind turbines consist of blades that rotate about a central axis when wind blows against them
• This rotational motion is used to perform useful work
• Wind turbines are connected to an electric generator to convert wind energy into electric energy
• Wind energy is more efficient than a heat engine.

Wind Farm/Park

• A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turbines covering an extensive area.
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Types of Wind Farm/Parks

• Onshore:
  • Wind turbines harness the energy of moving air to generate electricity. Onshore wind refers to turbines located on land.
  • Advantages of Onshore Wind:
    • Relatively cheap cost allows for mass farms of wind turbines.
    • Shorter distance to consumer allows for less voltage drop off on cabling.
    • Quick installation compared to other power sources.
  • Disadvantages of Onshore Wind:
    • Considered an eyesore on the landscape.
    • Does not produce energy all year round due to poor wind speed or physical blockages.
    • Creates noise pollution for nearby communities.
• Offshore:
  • Offshore wind turbines are located out at sea or in freshwater.
  • Fixed-foundation turbines are built in shallow water, while floating wind turbines are built in deeper waters where their foundation is anchored in the seabed.
  • Offshore wind farms must be at least 200 nautical miles from the shore and 50 feet deep in the ocean.
  • Offshore wind turbines produce electricity that is returned to shore through cables buried in the ocean floor.
  • Advantages of Offshore Wind:
    • Larger and taller wind turbines can be built, allowing for more energy collection.
    • Less intrusive to neighbouring countries, allowing for larger farms to be created per square mile.
    • Typically located in areas with higher wind speed/force, allowing for more energy to be generated.
    • No physical restrictions such as hills or buildings that could block the wind flow.
  • Disadvantages of Offshore Wind:
    • High construction and maintenance costs due to the remote and hard-to-reach locations.
    • Susceptible to damage from storms or hurricanes, which can be expensive to repair.
    • The impact of offshore wind farms on marine life and birds is not yet fully understood.
    • Offshore wind farms built closer to coastlines (within 26 miles) can affect property values and tourism.

Working of wind turbines

• Wind turbines convert wind energy into mechanical energy.
• Mechanical energy can be used for tasks like grinding grain, pumping water or generating electricity.
• Most turbines have three aerodynamically designed blades.
• The blades turn around a rotor that is connected to the main shaft.
• The main shaft spins a generator to create electricity.
• Wind turbines are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy.
• Wind speed, blade radius, and air density are the three main variables that determine how much electricity a turbine can produce.
• Stronger winds produce more energy, with turbines generating energy at a speed of 4-25 metres per second.
• The larger the radius of blades, the more energy produced. Doubling the blade radius can result in four times more power.
• Heavier air exerts lift on a rotor, with air density determined by altitude, temperature and pressure.
• High altitude locations have low air pressure and lighter air, making them less productive turbine locations.
• Dense heavy air near sea level drives rotors faster and thus relatively more effectively.

Status of Wind Energy in India

• India’s wind energy sector is led by the indigenous wind power industry and has shown consistent progress.
• India has the fourth-highest wind installed capacity in the world with a total installed capacity of 39.25 GW (as of 31st March 2021) and has generated around 60.149 Billion Units during 2020-21.
• The compound annual growth rate for wind generation has been 11.39% between 2010 and 2020, and for installed capacity, it has been 8.78%.
• India has a potential of generating 127 GW of offshore wind energy and 302 GW of total wind energy potential at a 100-meter hub height, according to MNRE and NIWE.
• More than 95% of commercially exploitable resources are located in seven states: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
• The MNRE has set a target of installing 5 GW of offshore wind energy by 2022 and 30 GW by 2030.

Policies related to Wind Energy

• National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy:
  • Aims to promote large grid-connected wind-solar PV hybrid systems for optimal utilization of wind and solar resources, transmission infrastructure, and land.
  • Was introduced in 2018.
• National Offshore Wind Energy Policy:
  • Aims to develop offshore wind energy in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) along the 7,600 km coastline.
  • Was notified in 2015.
  • Objectives include reducing carbon emissions, promoting energy infrastructure investment and energy security, encouraging indigenization of offshore wind energy technology, and creating a skilled workforce and employment in the offshore wind energy sector.
  • Aims to develop Project EPC and Operation & Maintenance in the offshore wind industry and to develop and maintain the coastal infrastructure and supply chain to support heavy construction and fabrication work and the Operation & Maintenance activities.

Maritime Zones

• There are two main maritime areas in which structures such as offshore wind farms can be built:
  • Indian territorial waters, which generally extend up to 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) from the baseline
  • Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), beyond the 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) limit and up to 200 nautical miles (370.4 km), where under international law, India has the right to construct structures such as wind farm installations.
• The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) is designated as the nodal agency for the development of offshore wind energy in the country.

Problems in the Wind Energy Sector

• Reduction in government incentives and subsidies for wind power
• Low tariffs for wind power compared to solar power, making it less attractive for investors
• Difficulty in achieving desired tariff rates due to region-specific wind patterns
• Curtailment of power generation by distribution companies (discom risks)
• Delayed payments to wind energy producers by discoms
• Lack of adequate transmission infrastructure, particularly in remote or offshore locations
• Land acquisition challenges, particularly in densely populated areas

Challenges in Harnessing Offshore Wind Energy

• Significant data collection and analysis is required before venturing into offshore wind energy projects.
• High investment is needed to develop the necessary support infrastructure for offshore wind energy.
• There is a lack of local manufacturers for substructures, installation vessels, and trained workers.
• Offshore wind turbines require stronger structures and foundations than onshore wind farms, resulting in higher installation costs.
• Maintenance for offshore wind farms is more costly and difficult to perform due to the impact of waves and high winds during storms.
• Europe has been the leader in offshore wind energy, and incentives have been provided to support its growth. However, such support is missing in India.
• The production of solar energy in India is currently cheaper than offshore wind energy, and the onshore wind sector is not as developed. This raises questions about the investment in offshore wind energy in India.

Way Forward

• Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) enables power distribution companies, open access consumers, and captive users to purchase clean energy as part of their total electricity consumption.
• Wind power generation companies cannot claim input tax credits when they pay GST to purchase goods and/or services for setting up the project, unlike the exemption of electricity and power sales from GST.
• Feed-in Tariff (FiT) can be used to promote offshore wind power in the early stages of development until it becomes economically viable. Discoms can adopt FiT regulations and make offshore wind power procurement mandatory.
• Deemed generation provision can protect offshore wind projects against curtailment concerns due to the inability of State Load Dispatch Centres (SLDCs) to absorb large quantities of power that may be generated.
• The development of underwater power evacuation and subsea substations by the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd can reduce the risk faced by offshore wind farm developers.

List of 10 Largest Wind Power Plants in India

Wind Power Plant	Megawatt (MW)	Location
Muppandal wind farm	1500	Tamil Nadu, Kanyakumari
Jaisalmer Wind Park	1064	Rajasthan, Jaisalmer
Brahmanvel wind farm	528	Maharashtra, Dhule
Dhalgaon wind farm	278	Maharashtra, Sangli
Vankusawade Wind Park	259	Maharashtra, Satara District.
Vaspet	144	Maharashtra, Vaspet
Tuljapur	126	Maharashtra, Osmanabad
Beluguppa Wind Park	100.8	Beluguppa, Andhra Pradesh
Mamatkheda Wind Park	100.5	Madhya Pradesh, Mamatkheda
Anantapur Wind Park	100	Andhra Pradesh, Nimbagallu

Top States in India – Installed Wind Power Capacity

• Tamil Nadu has the largest installed wind power generation capacity in India, with a share of around 28% in electricity generation in 2018. The total wind capacity at the end of 2018 was 8,631 MW, while the total installed electricity generation capacity was 30,447 MW.
• Gujarat has the second-largest installed wind power generation capacity in India, with a share of around 19% in electricity generation in 2018.
• Maharashtra has the third-largest installed wind power generation capacity in India.
• Karnataka has the fourth-largest installed wind power generation capacity in India.
• Rajasthan has the fifth-largest installed wind power generation capacity in India, with wind contributing around 20% of total electricity generated in the state.