The Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has constituted an Offshore Wind Energy Steering Committee (OWESC) under the chairmanship of Secretary, MNRE, to steer the offshore wind power development in a focussed manner, especially in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The committee will work out a road map for offshore wind power development in the country.
A Technical Committee has already been constituted to analyse the available data with various agencies for preliminary assessment of potential, including identification of pockets for offshore wind power development. The Offshore Wind Energy Steering Committee will focus on issues such as allotment of offshore wind sites which require multi-layer clearances and co-ordination with various government departments/agencies. The committee will include various stakeholders, including government department /agencies.
According to the terms and reference of OWESC, it will provide policy guidance for tapping offshore wind energy potential on a sustained basis; approve plans and proposals relating to offshore wind energy development; develop policy framework/guidelines for offshore wind resource assessment through public/private entities; and guidelines for awarding the sites to private sector for establishing offshore wind power projects.
It would also work to create an institutional mechanism for inter-agency co-ordination for integration of offshore wind power with established uses of the sea; and evaluation of the potential partners (private/public sector) for setting up pilot offshore wind power projects in 2-3 years and evaluation of PPP (public-private partnership) mode for offshore wind energy development.
