Offshore wind energy has significant potential to contribute to the installed capacity of grid connected power generation. India is earmarked by long cost line extending 7,562 km, over 2 million sq. km of exclusive economic zone and influenced by strong prevailing southwest monsoonal trade winds during summer covering large area of east - west coastal belt. This paper discusses the offshore wind regime along the eastern and western coasts of the country establishing wind power potential for commercial exploitation and offering prospects for offshore wing farming. An assessment has been carried out based on available wind data from coastal locations and data from currently operational and commercial offshore wind farms to establish an environmental, technical and economic feasibility of offshore wind farms at strategic sites along the Indian coastline. Findings indicate that initial cost of installation of offshore wind facility is about 50–60 percent higher than of onshore wind farming, the recoverable energy yield over the entire lifetime is much greater in the case of offshore. This compensates the initial cost when considered over a long-term.
Offshore wind, trade winds, technical and economic feasibility
