India has issued a tender for its first offshore wind projects, with over 7GW of capacity in the mix.
The country’s Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) issued the call for seven locations off the coast of Tamil Nadu in the south of the country.
The proposed zones cover an area of 1443 square kilometres, capable of supporting 7.2GW of capacity.
MNRE has appointed the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) to conduct the bidding process.
According to the tender notice, bids for 4.1GW of projects will be issued in January 2024, with the remaining capacity up for grabs in the next financial year.
The announcement has invited interested players to survey the proposed locations.
Leasing of the seabed area to the developer will initially be for five years, extendable by a year on a case by case basis. Successful bidders will have to commission their site, including conducting the relevant surveys, within this period, with NIWE providing oversight on progress.
Post commissioning, the project lease will be extended for the operational life of the development.