The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued revised draft guidelines setting the validity of the prototype certificate for wind turbine at three years.

The draft guidelines include a framework for installing prototype wind turbine models. They will apply to all wind turbine manufacturers in India and will be implemented by the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), Chennai.

The guidelines specify that manufacturers of the wind turbine prototypes to be installed must provide the documentation to NIWE to receive a recommendation for the permit to install the prototype for testing and grid synchronization.

Internationally Accredited Testing and Certification bodies will carry out the certification. A list of changes or modifications and new components used in the modified prototype wind turbine issued by the type certification body must be provided to NIWE.

The draft guidelines state that regular maintenance and servicing must be carried out for the prototype wind turbines installed.

At the end of the year, the type certification body will issue a letter about the routine operation and maintenance of prototype wind turbines. The wind turbines will be disconnected from the grid if this letter is not provided.

A maximum of three years from the date of issuance of the recommendation letter from NIWE for the prototype wind turbines will be allowed to complete testing and for obtaining the type certificate. However, the prototype certificate’s validity will be maintained until the type certificate is issued.

All the prototype wind turbines must be commissioned and grid-synchronized within 18 months from the date of issuance of the recommendation letter from NIWE.

The manufacturer will provide the commissioning certificate and grid synchronization report issued by the state utility concerned to NIWE immediately after the commissioning/grid synchronization.

Since higher capacity wind turbines such as 5.2 MW are already available in the Indian market, MNRE has suggested mentioning the number of prototype turbines instead of MW.

The wind turbine manufacturer concerned will own the prototype wind turbines and must not be sold to any party until the model is included in the Revised List of Models and Manufacturers of wind turbines (RLMM).

The components procured or imported to manufacture the prototype wind turbines will be new and unused. No second-hand components/machines will be allowed.

In 2024, MNRE amended the criteria for micro-siting onshore wind power to focus on optimized output rather than the minimum distance between turbines.

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