Govt rolls out policy for upgrading old wind turbines

NIWE estimates India’s wind potential to be 695 GW at 120m hub height. However, at present, the wind turbines installed at some of India’s best wind sites are of lower rated capacities at ~50m hub heights. To harness the estimated potential, it is crucial to repower these old wind turbines. The latest wind repowering policy is an instrumental step in creating a conducive environment for repowering and upgrading wind turbines.

With a change in the eligibility criteria from up to 1 MW to 2 MW or below, a higher number of wind turbines will qualify for repowering. Who will be the first movers to repower wind projects? Would decommissioning old turbines and repowering them be financially profitable for private players?