Govt invites bids for 4 GW offshore wind power projects
NEW DELHI: A day after finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced viability gap funding for offshore wind projects, new and renewable energy ministry invited bids for the development of offshore wind energy of a total capacity of 4 GW (Gigawatt).
The bids invited are for four blocks of 1 GW each on open access basis, for development of offshore wind power projects off the coast of Tamil Nadu, through international competitive bidding. Under this arrangement, the developers who win the bid for each block will set up 1 GW offshore wind energy capacity and sell electricity directly to consumers.
“No viability gap funding (VGF) is given under the open access bids, and the renewable energy generated will be sold to entities such as industries which are currently in the high-tariff band,” reads the statement. The minister on Thursday announced viability gap funding for offshore wind projects with a cumulative capacity of 1 GW.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay foundation stone for NLC India Ltd’s (NLCIL) 2,400 MW supercritical thermal power plant in Sambalpur, Odisha, on February 3, 2024. To reduce the cost of transportation of coal, the government approved setting up thermal power plants to be set up by coal CPSUs at pithead. Government has approved setting up of a 3 x 800 MW Ultra Super Critical Thermal Power Plant at Talabira through NLCIL.
On getting operational, this pit-head plant will generate electricity at a cost of Rs 3.65 per unit (Rs 2.40 fixed cost and Rs 1.25 variable cost), which is among the cheapest power produced by TPPs in the country.