Offshore Wind Power Potential in India Based on Technical, Marine Ecosystem and Economic Considerations

Abstract

India is striving hard to exploit renewable energy resources on a vast scale, to meet its future energy demands, due to several issues of pollution, sustainability, and climate change caused by the consumption of fossil fuels. Wind is abundant over the ocean, but in–situ data are sparse for evaluation of offshore wind power potential. Reanalysis data overcomes this problem by providing near-complete spatial coverage at high time resolution. This thesis aims to estimate technical and economical offshore wind energy potential available in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of India by considering marine ecosystem. To this end, following work is carried out in this thesis: (i) Application of European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis Interim (ERA−Interim) wind dataset for offshore wind power assessment and validation with in-situ moored buoy data, (ii) Development of wind property maps (annual and seasonal wind speed and power density) and turbine characteristics like capacity factor maps at a hub height of 80 m using ERA−Interim winds for 14 years (2001 – 2014), (iii) Estimation of annual energy production with corresponding data of bathymetry, cumulative human impact on the marine ecosystems, and capacity factor corresponding to selected WT models, (iv) Development of spatial distribution of levelized production cost (LPC) and geospatial cost-supply curves for various scenarios, (v) Estimation of offshore wind energy potential in the coast of western India, and (vi) Estimation of reduction in carbon emission in India due to offshore wind power. Wind energy potential assessment revealed that, maximum energy potential available at medium high human impact region with 457 TWh up to a water depth of 120 m using 5 MW wind turbine. Further, annual energy production (AEP) capacity is estimated to be about ten and six times of the present (Financial year 2015 – 16) and anticipated future (Financial year 2021 – 22), energy demand while considering 5 MW turbine in Indian EEZ. Moreover, approximately 40% of the technical potential up to water depth 50 m would be economically competitive with the existing renewable energy sources under the feed-in tariff of 200 €/MWh. With the shallow waters along the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are the best suitable regions for developing xxiv offshore wind energy in terms of wind resources and economic viability. Considering water depth up to 50 m, the amount of energy that could generate by India offsets 57%, and western India offsets 34% of India’s present carbon emissions (Central Electricity Authority, 2016). Development of OWF in Indian EEZ up to 50 m can reduce 0.352 metric tons of carbon emissions per capita. It is nearly equal to India’s commitment (33% reduction by 2005 level) at 21st Conference of Parties. The present study can be useful to investors and policymakers to identify techno–economically feasible and promising zones for offshore wind power development in the EEZ of India. Keywords: Offshore wind energy, geographical information system, cost supply curve, human impact on the marine ecosystem, capacity factor, levelized production cost.