The Centre on Tuesday has ruled out offshore wind energy projects along the Odisha coast for the present, citing low wind potential and challenging seabed conditions that make such ventures technically and commercially unviable.
In a written reply to a question by BJD Rajya Sabha MP Subhasish Khuntia on Tuesday, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik said preliminary assessments indicate average offshore wind speeds of 6.0-7.0 metres per second at a hub height of 150 metres, translating into an estimated capacity utilisation factor (CUF) of 32-35 per cent.
Naik said the Odisha coast is characterised by a steep seabed gradient, with water depths increasing from around 50 metres to nearly 1,000 metres within just 20-30 km of the shoreline.
While the northern coastline has relatively shallower waters, where the 50-metre depth extends up to nearly 100 km offshore, the combination of low wind speeds and high water depths significantly undermines the viability of offshore wind projects.
“Accordingly, no offshore wind projects have been identified or sanctioned in Odisha,” the Minister informed the House.
The Minister noted that the Centre has launched a Rs 7,453-crore Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme to support the installation and commissioning of 1 GW of offshore wind capacity, along with financial assistance for upgrading two ports to meet the logistics requirements of the sector.
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has also completed transmission planning for the initial 5 GW offshore wind projects each off the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts.
At the backdrop of Odisha’s limited offshore wind potential, Naik said the Ministry is currently concentrating its efforts on developing offshore wind energy projects along the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts, which offer far more favourable wind resources and site conditions.