ONGC plans to tap offshore wind energy; shelves K'taka project

After setting up its first 50 Mw wind energy farm in Gujarat, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is now planning to tap huge offshore potential of this vital alternative energy.

“We are trying to tap the offshore potential of wind energy," RS Sharma, chairman and managing director of ONGC told Business Standard here.

ONGC has already held a series of meetings and collected various data related to offshore potential of the renewable energy, Sharma said. The biggest machine available in the market for wind energy has the potential to generate at least 5 Mw power.

“Our endeavour is to tap alternative sources of energy as we want to operate in all energy areas,” said Sharma. He asserted that funds would not be a constraint for the project.

Officials of ONGC’s corporate energy cell at its headquarters here are working out the final modalities for the offshore project. Since the Indian coastline is very vast, there is a huge potential for wind energy in the country, company sources said.

A detailed study would be conducted to find out the viability of this offshore project.

Meanwhile, the company has shelved its proposed wind energy project in Karnataka and is now planning to set up the second 50 Mw project in Gujarat. The exact reasons behind the move were not known.

The company wanted to sell power from the Karnataka plant to either the state electricity board or PTC India. Anoop Kumar, group general manger - head (technical services) of ONGC also confirmed the move and said no tenders were issued in this regard. The company had planned to float tenders last year for the Karnataka project.

ONGC is investing nearly Rs 600 crore in the first phase in the wind energy sector. The public sector giant entered the wind energy sector by signing an agreement with Suzlon Energy Ltd for its Bhuj wind energy project in Gujarat to produce 50 Mw of power for its own consumption in the western state.