NTPC Green Energy invites bids for Offshore Wind Power Projects in India

NTPC Green Energy (NGEL), a fully owned subsidiary of NTPC, is seeking expressions of interest from offshore wind power companies based in India or globally to form a consortium for the development of offshore wind power projects in India.

NGEL aims to collaborate with a partner company that possesses expertise and experience in offshore wind project development worldwide.

The consortium is expected to assist NGEL in the long term by developing in-house capabilities and finding solutions for the execution and maintenance of offshore wind projects.

By undertaking these projects, NTPC aims to achieve a renewable energy capacity target of 60 GW by 2032.

The deadline for bid submissions is August 14, 2023, and bids will be opened on August 16.

To qualify, bidders must have successfully commissioned a minimum of 200 MW of offshore wind power projects globally. They should also have experience in operating and managing a cumulative capacity of at least 500 MW of offshore wind turbines.

Bidders must have a minimum of three years of experience in owning, operating, and decommissioning offshore wind energy projects, as well as a minimum of five years of project management experience.

Additionally, the company should have conducted marine surveys for offshore wind development and commissioned offshore wind transmission systems for projects of at least 50 MW.

The company must have established policies regarding environment, health and safety, quality assurance, anti-bribery, anti-fraud, anti-slavery, and anti-collusion. They should not be involved in any major pending litigation or in violation of national security.

Bidders are required to have a net worth of at least Rs 12.5 billion ($151.74 million), and their annual turnover for the past three financial years should be a minimum of Rs 5 billion ($60.69 million).

They must also present a plan to meet the funding requirements for the projects and demonstrate their experience in raising between Rs 5 billion ($60.69 million) and Rs 10 billion ($121.39 million).

As part of the agreed capital contribution for project development, NGEL will provide milestone funding based on mutually agreed terms.

In June of the previous year, RK Singh, the Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, announced the issuance of bids for offshore wind energy blocks totalling 4 GW annually for three years. Starting from the financial year 2022-23, these bids will be released for projects in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

Following this announcement, in November 2022, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy issued a draft tender to select wind power developers for leasing seabed areas to develop 4 GW of offshore wind power projects off the coast of Tamil Nadu.

In May 2023, the Ministry of Power expanded the scope of inter-state transmission charge waivers to include offshore wind projects, facilitating their implementation and expansion.