Pralhad Joshi urges wind industry to raise local content to 85%

Urging the wind energy industry, particularly Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMS) as well as those engaged in components production, to enhance local content to 85 percent from the current 65 percent, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said domestic value addition is essential to strengthen the country’s clean energy supply chain.

“Amidst evolving global dynamics and rising geo-political challenges, it is necessary to align with the vision of the Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in clean energy,” he said, addressing the 7th edition of ‘Windergy India 2025’, India’s premier advocacy platform and exhibition, in Chennai.

Advertisement

“With indigenisation and high local content, India can capture 10 percent of the global wind supply chain by 2030 and further to 20 percent by 2040. For India is among the five countries that manufacture the most wind components domestically,” Joshi pointed out.

Crediting Tamil Nadu for leading the country’s clean energy journey and continuing to inspire other states, the minister said, “The southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh together contribute almost half of the country’s total wind capacity, which is at present 54 GW. Wind energy accounts for nearly one-fifth of the installed capacity of 257 GW. The goal is to achieve the renewable energy target of 500 GW by 2030, in which wind power will play a crucial role by contributing 100 GW or more.”

“The installed capacity is already 54 GW and another 30 GW is in progress. As such, achieving 85 GW capacity is closer at hand to meet the 2030 target,” he noted, adding, “In FY 2024-25, wind power generation was 3.35 billion units, which accounted for 5 percent of the country’s total electricity generation. The average turbine size has reached 5.2 MW, indicating the advances in technology,” he said.

On exporting Indian wind energy equipment and components to capture markets abroad, Joshi said, “Already Indian manufacturers are having a foothold in the USA, Europe, Australia, and Brazil, besides several Asian countries. We will soon launch an SOP for wind, which will be a big step forward.”