Figure 1. Global Cumulative Installed Wind Capacity 2005–2017 (Source – Global Wind Report 22-oct-2018)
The energy that's generated by the moving wind is named as "wind energy." It's abundantly available within nature. In India, grid-connected wind power generation has now gained a high level of attention and acceptability as compared to other renewable technologies available in the country. Many developed and developing countries are now captivated by wind energy to fulfil many important aspects such as irrigation and electricity generation in remote areas. It's a clean source of energy, which has upmost importance within the growing rate of industrialization, agricultural development, etc. India has the fifth-largest installed alternative energy capacity. India has about 7% alternative energy installations, and about 2–3% of the whole energy generation is from wind. This paper will describe India's wind generation potential as well as the global status of wind energy. The objective of this study is to look at the present developments that have been made in India in the field of renewable energy and to analyze the future of our country in this world.
Due to increasing population rate, growing industries and construction activities and agricultural growth large amount of energy supply is required. Throughout past decades fossil fuels have an upmost importance in providing the adequate amount of energy supply required for the expansion of any country including India. Fossil fuels play major role in transforming the complete human civilization and it had pivotal role in providing the energy within the coming future. Fossil fuels are excellent source of energy for filling our needs but the two major issues that are prevailing around their excess usage is the amount of pollution they cause to the environment, the second is their sustainability. The three major fossil fuels used for energy over a large ranges are oil, natural gas and coal. As there are only a limited number of those left in nature and it takes a long time for them to be produced again, sustainability becomes an absolute necessity, which forces us to lay our stress on the utilization of renewable sources of energy to fill our needs in line with the 2015 Paris agreement. It reduces the use of fossil fuels in order to reduce global warming (Singh et al., 2022). On the opposite hand atomic energy may also easily fulfil our energy demands but keeping incidents like Chernobyl disaster in mind it's clear that it's not a secure source as any incident in it can have adverse effect on the local population for many years. There's an increased demand of production and provision for the energy produced from the wind especially in some Asian and European countries, so as to manage the carbon emissions within the environment shifting toward the renewable source of energy becoming an absolute necessity. Under this context Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) took various initiatives together with various funding authorities like UN agencies, to push the renewable energy. MNRE unitedly in collaboration with the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) promotes the utilization of wind energy as a replacement for non-renewable energy sources (Yadav & Sethy, 2018; National institute of wind energy (NIWE), n.d.).
Singh et al. (2022) present the crucial facets and advancement strategies that were approved and adopted by the Government of India for intensifying the country's own power safety through the appropriate use of existing power sources. From India's viewpoint, wind energy is not only utilized for power production but also to provide power in a more economical way. The particulars of India's total energy production, the contributions of numerous renewable sources, and their demand are also encompassed in this research.
Chaurasiya et al. (2019) depict the status and development of wind energy in India. It also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the development of wind energy in the country and different approaches to increasing and expanding the utilization of wind resources.
Sitharthan et al. (2018) embark upon some major possibilities in India for exploration of wind power employment in electricity generation. The survey also summarizes advanced technology implemented, future opportunities, government initiatives, important achievements, and guiding principles on wind power consumption. It also addresses the most important initiative taken by the government on subsidies and noticeable policies to promote wind power utilization by the government.
Yadav and Sethy (2018) mention wind energy is one of the fastest-developing technologies. The advantage of wind energy is that it is clean, non-polluting, and can be added to the grid. Wind power is generally developed in geographically suitable areas. It is an eco-friendly, clean energy source that acts as a complementary energy source. It provides a detailed description of India's wind energy industry and discusses several developments that accelerated its growth and current status, as well as major achievements and the future of wind energy in India.
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (n.d.) explore a decentralized management approach with more funding allocated towards repair programs, the restructuring of payment plans for family-sized biogas plants, the creation of more communal biogas plants, and financial incentives for the dairy industry, which will help India maximize its biogas potential at an individual, communal, and industrial level, respectively.
Mandal et al. (2021) depict how technology can be implemented in many remote areas of India and across the globe to solve the emerging water crisis. Using an example from a recently completed project, this pilot project attempts to present the atmospheric water generating technology in real time.
The energy produced by the wind has almost negligible negative impact on the environment as, it doesn't lead to the emissions of greenhouse gases like CO2 and is hence considered to be a clean source (Mandal et al., 2021; Sudharsan et al., 2021). Various countries have a number of wind energy installations. By 2016, the global wind energy capacity had reached 486,661 MW, preventing the release of 1.1 billion metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere (Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, n.d; Kumar & Madlener, 2016).
As shown in Figure 1, there's an increase in the number of wind energy installations from year to year, which just shows that the various countries are trying to shift their energy source to a renewable one. There is no alternative, and without doubt the wind industry has a prominent role to play in the solution strategies. As a consequence, the continued development of wind power across the globe is supporting the energy transition.
Figure 1. Global Cumulative Installed Wind Capacity 2005–2017 (Source – Global Wind Report 22-oct-2018)
Everything changed after the introduction of the Chinese Renewable Energy Law in 2005, and by the end of the decade, China emerged as the global market leader and is now double the market of the US, which overtook Spain in 2007 and then Germany in 2008. The only change in the top five rankings since then has been India passing Spain in 2015. At the end of the 2000s and the beginning of the new decade, new markets emerged in Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa, as well as in Egypt, Morocco, Chile, and a host of smaller markets in Europe, most notably Turkey and Poland. Today we have commercial wind operations in more than 90 countries around the world, nine of them with more than 10,000 MW, and 30 with more than 1,000 MW across Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, and Africa.
Figure 2 depicts the annual installed wind capacity year by year from 2005 to 2017.Considering the bar diagram, the installed wind capacity also increases as the years pass on. In 2015, the peak value for wind energy installation was attained compared with other years. And again, it decreases from 2015 to 2018.
Figure 2. Annual Installed Wind Capacity 2005–2017 (Source - Global Wind Report 22-Oct-2018)
As shown in Figure 3, the ten leading countries (Sitharthan et al., 2018), of which China has a large number of installations, contribute 90% of global wind installations, with the remainder contributing the remaining percentage. The leading country consistent with quantity of wind installations all over the world is China with 2360 GW of installations followed by Europe (192,020 GW), the US (105,466 GW), and, Germany (61,357 GW) (Yadav & Sethy, 2018; Global wind energy council, 2016).
Figure 3. Wind Installation in Different Countries Worldwide (Source – Global Wind Energy Outlook 28-Jul-2016)
In Figure 3, it's shown that China has a sizable amount of wind energy installations, but the electricity demand in China continues to be fulfilled by coal and about 65% of the electricity demand there is covered by coal, whereas in Uruguay, wind energy usage for electricity generation is the highest among all the opposite countries (Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, n.d.).
India's wind energy sector has shown a lot of progress over the past few years. The usage of wind energy improves ecosystem conditions; India is one of the top four countries on the basis of having large wind installation capacity, and around 60.142 billion units of energy are generated through these installations (Chaurasiya et al., 2019). In Table 1, the wind energy potential of different states is shown at the specific heights of 100 m and 120 m. As shown in Figures 4a and b, the total installations of different energy sources and their energy contribution In India, the government, in collaboration with National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), has set up 800 systems for the continuous monitoring of the wind installations and the energy generation from all the wind turbines. The government has also worked on setting up various potential maps at specific heights above ground level, like at 50 m, 80 m, 100m, and 120 m. Recent evaluations have shown that the total wind energy potential above the 100 m level is 302 GW and around 695.5 GW above the 120m mark from the ground (Yadav & Sethy, 2018; Singh et al., 2004).
Table 1. State Wise Wind Energy Potential in India
Figure 4. (a) Total Installed Capacity of Different Energy Sources in India. (b) Energy Contribution of Different Energy Resources (Source – National Power Portal)
Wind energy is a source of renewable energy. It does not contaminate, it is inexhaustible and it reduces the use of fossil fuels, which are the origin of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. The government has been promoting wind power projects by providing various fiscal and promotional incentives. The most important of the current support schemes include Accelerated Depreciation (AD), excise duty exemptions to manufacturers, and concessional import duties on certain components of wind electricity generators generated from wind power projects. Table 2 shows a year-by-year breakdown of wind energy used for power generation in India from 2014 to 2020. Energy accounted for more than 12% of total installed capacity and approximately 6 % of electricity generation, a significant increase from 2% in the 1990s. Now, wind power accounts for about 69% of total renewable energy capacity, or about 8% of the total installed capacity.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) records the above tabular data. This data clearly shows the increase in the use of wind energy to meet our country's electricity needs, which is expected to increase in the near future (Ministry of power, 2022; Centre for wind energy technology, 2013). In Figure 5, it is shown that the power generation from the wind installations is very low in the winter months from November to February.
Table 2. Amount of Wind Energy Used for Electricity Generation in India between the Years 2014 To 2020
Figure 5. Graphical Stats of the Amount of Wind Energy Produced Month Wise (Source – Global Wind Energy Outlook)
But the power generation from wind installations is at its maximum in the months of June to September, which are considered to be the monsoon season in India (Indian wind energy association (In-WEA), n.d; Reddy et al., 2013). This data has also shown one detriment of wind energy and its climate dependency.
Wind energy is the energy generated using wind turbines to convert the kinetic energy of the wind to mechanical energy, which is then converted into electricity. Wind energy has the lowest water consumption, relatively lowest emissions, and is considered one of the most sustainable sources of energy. India is the fourth-largest wind power market, with cumulative wind installed capacity. The generation of electricity from wind turbines increased proportionally as capacity increased. The government has been promoting wind power projects by providing various fiscal and promotional incentives. These benefits will encourage participation by the private sector in renewable power projects.
3.2.1 Suzlon Energy Limited Company
Suzlon Energy Limited is an Indian multinational wind turbine manufacturer based in Pune, India. It was formerly ranked as the world's fifth-largest wind turbine supplier. The main motto of this group is to lead the country towards the path of sustainable development. It is located in Pune and is one of the top manufacturers of wind turbines not only in India but also in the world, with an installed capacity of around 22000 MW to 24000 MW.
3.2.2 Orient Green Power Limited
Orient Green Power Limited is India's leading producer of renewable energy. It is the largest developer of renewable energy power plants in India, with headquarters in Chennai, and it generates approximately 467 MW of electricity per year. It is the largest independent producer of renewable power in India. They have a portfolio of wind assets spread across the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
3.2.3 Indowind Energy Limited
Indowind Energy Limited is the company that generates the power through the windmills and then distributes it among the consumers. This association is also working to set up more wind farms in the country for the efficient production and continuous supply of renewable energy across the country. It develops wind farms for sale, manages the wind assets, and generates green power for sale to utilities and corporations. Turnkey implementation of wind power projects, include concept to commissioning a wind asset management solution for installed assets, including operations, billing, and collection of revenue for project customers. The installed wind turbines are shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6. Wind Turbines
India has one of the fastest-growing energy demands in the world, yet 74% of its electricity still comes from fossil fuels. One way to accelerate the transition towards clean energy is to expand the country's wind power sector.
Wind power comes from wind turbines, which turn the energy of the wind into electrical energy. Most turbines have two or three blades, which are designed to spin when the wind hits them at a certain angle. The blades then spin a rotor, which powers a generator to produce electricity. Onshore wind turbines provide some of the cheapest forms of renewable energy we have.
There are many wind farms or wind parks situated in India that generate an essential quantity of electricity out of wind. Some of them are listed as follows.
Jaisalmer Wind Park located in Rajasthan has a capacity of 1065 MW. Muppandal Wind Park in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, has a capacity of 1500 MW. Brahmanvel wind farm in Dhule, Maharashtra, has a capacity of 529 MW, and Dhalgaon wind farm in Sangli Maharashtra, has a capacity of 279 MW (Sudharsan et al., 2021).
India's energy demand is set to grow by 3% per year, and meeting this demand sustainably will require clean sources of power. India announced a new climate commitment to meet 50% of its energy requirements with renewable energy by 2030. Currently, India meets 26.4% (103 GW) of its energy requirements from renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind. Offshore wind energy will help achieve this goal, despite its small contribution, because India established a national offshore wind energy policy. Although there is no fully established offshore wind energy facility present in India, there are some projects on which different government bodies are working. The first offshore wind energy project was started in December 2015. The National Institute of Wind Energy discovered, using satellite data, that there are some areas along the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu where wind installations can be easily installed and monitored. The first offshore wind energy project was begun in one of the zones identified by the satellite in the coast of Gujarat. The ministry has formed a committee to work on these identified zones and ensure the close monitoring of the zones in order to set up offshore facilities in these areas.
During the times of COVID-19, the transportation of fossil fuels also becomes difficult, which forces us to depend on efficient energy sources that don't need any kind of raw material to be transported and fulfil the demand for energy very efficiently. India has a great potential for producing a large amount of wind energy from both onshore and offshore installations. However, the current wind energy used only comes from the onshore platforms. The various policies of the central government are working on setting up offshore platforms as well to increase the wind energy capacity. According to the report published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Indian wind energy market could increase its productivity to about 104–106 GW by the year 2030 (Mandal et al., 2021). Wind energy could generate nearly 295 terawatt-hours of energy by 2030. It also plays a major role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, and the country could be able to shift toward clean energy sources. Looking forward, wind power will cover more than one-third of global power needs (35%), becoming the world's foremost generation source. It could also deliver nearly one-quarter of the annual global CO2 emission reductions needed in the coming years.
In India, there is a lot of potential for wind energy, and in the coming future, it will possess the required potential to replace fossil fuels. In India, it is predicted by various government institutions that offshore wind power generation is the most efficient way to produce wind energy in India, but progress in offshore projects and policies is slow. There are many committees formed by the central government to monitor and keep a close eye on the zones that are recognized as suitable spots for installing the wind energy set up; some of those zones are with 24-25 GW of wind power. India has achieved the desired development of onshore wind power generation. Looking forward, wind power will cover more than onethird of global power needs (35%), becoming the world's foremost generation source. And this revolution in shifting towards renewable energy sources is moving our country towards sustainable development without compromising the needs of developing countries and their citizens.