RWE and Tata Power have agreed on a partnership to explore the potential for a joint development of offshore wind projects in India. A corresponding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata, which is one of India's largest integrated power companies, and RWE Renewables GmbH.
India’s 7800 km coastline makes it an attractive and largely unexplored market for offshore wind development. The MoU between Tata Power Renewable Energy and RWE becomes more significant in the light of the government of India’s announcement that it wants to achieve 30 GW of offshore wind installations by 2030 to meet the country’s growing power demands.
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO Wind Offshore of RWE Renewables, commented: “India has excellent wind resources, which can help to meet the country’s increasing energy demands. If clear regulations and an effective tender scheme are in place, we expect India’s offshore wind industry will gain a real momentum. RWE wants to be part of this development.” He adds: “With Tata Power we have an outstanding and experienced partner at our side which is deeply rooted locally and shares our ambition to drive the growth of offshore wind in India.”
The Indian government is in the process of conducting detailed technical studies and devising the regulatory framework to establish the first auctions for offshore wind off the coast of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. To facilitate the establishment of an offshore wind market in India, RWE and Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited will now conduct technical and commercial site assessments. In addition, the companies are looking into an evaluation of the Indian offshore wind supply chain and supporting infrastructure, such as ports and grid connections, to identify the local strengths as well as necessary development potential.
