The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, marked the global celebrations of Global Wind Day on June 15 with a day-long event in New Delhi. The event, centered around the theme "Pawan – Urja: Powering the Future of India," aimed to commemorate the achievements thus far in the wind energy sector and explore ways to expedite the adoption of wind energy in the country.
Distinguished experts and stakeholders convened to engage in discussions on topics such as Wind Energy Progress in India, Offshore Wind Development, Strengthening of the wind energy manufacturing ecosystem, and Green Finance for Wind Energy.
Secretary of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, delivered the keynote address and reiterated the Government of India's unwavering commitment to achieving the ambitious target of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. He commended the contributions of various states with significant wind potential in propelling the growth of the wind energy sector.
During the event, Secretary Bhalla congratulated the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu for their exceptional achievements during the financial year 2022-2023. Rajasthan received recognition for achieving the highest wind capacity addition, Gujarat for attaining the highest wind capacity addition through open access, and Tamil Nadu for spearheading the repowering of wind turbines. An important highlight of the event was the launch of the Wind Atlas, prepared by the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE). The Wind Atlas provides crucial data on onshore wind potential at a height of 150 meters above ground level, estimating the country's wind potential at a staggering 1,164 GW.
The event witnessed active participation from central and state government authorities, wind turbine manufacturers and developers, international and domestic financial institutions, Central Public Sector Enterprises, academia, think-tanks, and other key stakeholders. Collaboration between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the National Institute of Wind Energy, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association, Indian Wind Power Association, and Wind Independent Power Producers Association was instrumental in organizing this grand celebration.
India has made remarkable progress in wind energy generation, currently ranking fourth globally in wind power capacity. Wind energy plays a crucial role in India's pursuit of its goal to have 50% of its electric power installed capacity sourced from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030 and to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2070. The country possesses substantial potential for both onshore and offshore wind energy production.
With sustained efforts from the government, India has successfully developed approximately 15 GW of domestic wind manufacturing capacity, contributing to its self-reliance goals.
