India Plans First Offshore Wind Tender for Tamil Nadu Coast by February 2026

The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) plans to launch India's first offshore wind power tender for the Tamil Nadu coast by February 2026. This follows positive findings from a wind assessment study using LiDAR, indicating high potential with a Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) of 45–50%, significantly higher than Gujarat's 37%. The tender is expected to be finalized by May–June 2026. To support offshore wind, the government has introduced a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme, targeting 1 GW of capacity, split between Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has also seen substantial investments in its wind and solar sectors recently.

Impact This initiative is expected to drive significant investment in India's renewable energy sector, boost energy security, and create jobs. The high CUF for Tamil Nadu points to strong potential for efficient energy generation.

Rating: 9/10

Difficult terms: * Offshore wind power: Electricity from turbines in the sea. * LiDAR: Technology using lasers to measure wind speed and direction. * Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF): Measure of how much a power plant actually produces versus its maximum capacity. * Viability Gap Funding (VGF): Government financial support to make essential projects economically viable. * Gigawatt (GW)/Megawatt (MW): Units of power.