India's wind energy push faces land and grid hurdles

India's wind power landscape

India has installed over 42.8 GW of wind energy capacity as of 2023, making it the world's fourth-largest wind power producer after China, the US and Germany. The southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh lead in installations, with Tamil Nadu alone contributing nearly 25% of the national total.

Growth drivers

The government's 2018 wind-solar hybrid policy and competitive tariff bidding have accelerated projects. Gujarat's 30 GW offshore wind target by 2030 aims to tap the 70-meter-high wind masts now being installed along its coast. Suzlon Energy and ReNew Power dominate the market with 13 GW and 2 GW of installed capacity respectively.

Persistent challenges

Land acquisition remains the biggest bottleneck - each MW of wind power requires 1-2 acres. Farmers in Maharashtra and Rajasthan increasingly resist long-term land leases. Grid congestion forces Tamil Nadu wind farms to curtail 15-20% of their output during monsoon peaks. The lack of energy storage means 34% of generated wind power gets wasted during low-demand periods.

Supply chain issues linger too. India still imports 60% of wind turbine components despite the phased manufacturing program. The 6-8 month delay in environmental clearances for forest land projects adds costs.

Policy moves

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) now allows wind-solar hybrids to use the same grid connection. Its new 'rent-a-roof' scheme promotes small wind turbines on urban buildings. The draft National Electricity Plan targets 100 GW wind capacity by 2032 - but analysts say this requires solving land and storage issues first.