The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has cancelled two offshore wind tenders, covering a 500 MW project and a 4,000 MW seabed lease rights allocation.
According to an Indian news outlet, the tenders were cancelled because of a lack of response from developers.
In September 2024, SECI launched a tender for the development of a 500 MW offshore wind project off the coast of Gujarat.
The successful bidder would build the wind farm in an area of 202 square kilometres in the Gulf of Khambhat and would enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with SECI for a period of 25 years.
The final closing date for bids was 4 August 2024 for offline submission.
In February 2024, India invited bids for four blocks of 1 GW each off the coast of Tamil Nadu. Through the Request for Selection (RfS), it was proposed to lease out seabed areas for 4 GW of offshore wind capacity, including identified sub-blocks 2, 3, 4, and 7 off the coast of Tamil Nadu in the Gulf of Mannar.
The winning bidder would have been responsible for conducting seabed surveys and related development work to validate existing data sets for financial closure.
The final closing date for bids was 31 July 2024 for offline submission.
According to an analysis launched by Ocean Energy Pathway, India’s Tamil Nadu has the potential to deliver up to EUR 72 billion in economic growth and create an additional 805,000 jobs within the offshore wind manufacturing supply chain by 2030.
The study said that Tamil Nadu has a significant opportunity to become a major hub for offshore wind manufacturing, leveraging its existing industrial base and skilled workforce.