NEW DELHI: Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi said that Wind Energy is at the centre of India’s strategy for the renewable energy sector.

Joshi said that in order to become a global manufacturing hub, India needs energy; be it solar energy, wind energy or any other form of energy.

“Our national goals are ambitious and clear: 50% of our power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, and a net-zero India by 2070. Wind energy is central to achieving these goals. Wind energy is not a component of our renewable energy strategy but it is at the heart of it and at the centre of Atma Nirbhar Bharat,” said the minister.

Underlining the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Joshi said, “PM Narendra Modi gave us a vision to have ‘renewable energy for manufacturing and conventional energy for household consumption’.”

India’s manufacturing capacity is increasing and it will continue to increase. In view of this, PM’s vision stresses upon the importance of renewable energy production, storage and usage, so that once India becomes a global manufacturing hub in near future, it should be able to fulfill the energy demands of the manufacturing sector through renewable energy sources, said the minister.

India has the huge potential in the renewable energy sector as it has globally the fourth largest wind power installed capacity and it is third largest renewable energy producer. “No one had thought that India would become the third largest manufacturer of renewable energy in 10 years, but today it is a reality, said the minister.

The minister underlined the 3 key issues for the Wind Energy sector saying: “First, we must combine wind with solar and storage (BESS) to deliver round-the-clock power and grid stability.

Second, tariffs must be competitive. A rate of ₹3.90 per unit is too high; we must work together to reduce costs.

Third, domestic manufacturing must become more efficient, not just to meet our own targets, but to boost exports.”

Underlining the dedicated efforts from GoI to unleash the potential of renewable energy sector, Joshi said, “The Government is backing this sector with full seriousness. This year’s renewable energy budget has gone up by 53%, to ₹26,549 crore, with a large share directed to wind.”

“The transition to renewables is inevitable. States must lead this transition. Land availability and transmission delays have to be overcome. This is not the time for hesitation, it is the time for execution,” the minister added.

The Minister said, “ I am happy to note that India is manufacturing wind turbines ranging from 225 kW to 5.2 MW, with 33 models being produced by 14 companies. These turbines meet our domestic needs and are also cost-competitive globally.”