Centre studying offshore wind power potential in TN, Gujarat

The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is testing the feasibility of offshore wind power development in states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

A draft feasibility report on the same has been prepared by Scottish Development Intern-ational, an international trade and investment arm of the Scottish government, said a higher official from the Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET).

The Centre has identified indicative areas in the Southern Peninsula and the Gujarat region, where offshore wind power assessment and development could be developed. The places identified include Dhanushkodi near Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat.

A technical committee would look into the requirements of the projects, said S Gomathinayagam, executive director, C-WET, who is heading the committee. The first meeting of the committee is scheduled on March 2.

“Starting offshore wind power development requires a large amount of data including wave, seabed and waterbed conditions along with marine ecology status, which India does not have at present,” said Gomathi-nayagam. “We are trying to collect the technical data and would submit it to the ministry for further decisions,” he said

He was speaking to reporters at a programme to announce Renergy 2012, an international conference and expo on renewable energy, to be organised with the support of TN Energy Development Agency here.

Setting up of wind power generation facilities offshore requires almost three to five times higher price per megawatt (Mw) than the cost per megawatt in onshore projects. The Mw scales for such projects also has to be huge, in order to make it viable, he added.

C-WET is also in the process of solar radiation mapping in the country to provide information on the level of solar radiation in each of the places, which would help solar power companies in setting up power generation facilities.

The centre, which earlier announced setting up of 51 stations to collect solar radiation levels, would add another 100 in Phase II.

The two-day conference on March 12 and 13 would discuss various aspects and issues in the renewable energy.