Review Paper:
Offshore Wind
Turbine Towers in India: Design considerations, Technological Advancements, Challenges
and Opportunities
Chauhan Mita M. and Shah Hemal J.
Disaster Advances; Vol. 18(11); 65-75;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/1811da065075; (2025)
Abstract
India's rapidly growing energy demands, driven by its economic expansion, necessitate
a transition towards renewable energy sources and offshore wind energy presents
a substantial opportunity in this context. Several leading nations including China,
the USA, Germany, India, UK, Canada, Spain, Italy, France and Portugal, collectively
account for approximately 86% of the global capacity for wind turbines, underscoring
the importance of international collaboration and knowledge sharing in advancing
wind energy technologies. This study explores the opportunities and challenges of
offshore wind power in India, looking at the pressing need to diversify energy mix.
The methodology employed in the study involves reading of related papers, government
policies and technological progress in the area of offshore wind turbine technology
and a discussion of the reasons and potential of the country in this sector. The
key conclusions show that in many ways despite the great offshore wind energy potential
in India, major obstacles still remain in the path as in terms of initial investment
that is huge, as well as the technology and network grid connection. One of the
challenges is that India has very vast coastline which is liable to natural calamities
such as earthquakes and tsunamis. To fully exploit the offshore wind energy potential
in a successful manner, the need is to develop a clear and independent system of
policies and regulations, generation of the transfer of the technology agreements
as well as an established grid and in-depth research work to overcome the technological
challenges.
The results of this study suggest that the establishment of a viable solution to
the identified problem can be achieved through the careful formulation of regulatory
framework, the generation of financial benefits and the collaboration among the
stakeholders involved can position India as a leader in offshore wind energy within
the Asia-Pacific region. Moreover, encouragement of the local production of offshore
wind turbine tower parts and the orientation towards new technologies, including
floating offshore wind turbines can stimulate the evolution of the sector and reduce
the imports.
