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					</table><p>The <a href="https://www.tn.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tamil Nadu government</a> has announced wind power projects repowering regulations aimed to replace old wind turbines and optimize wind energy potential. The Tamil Nadu Repowering, Refurbishment &amp; Life Extension Policy for Wind Power Projects, 2024, seeks to increase the state’s overall installed wind power capacity and generation and provide a supportive framework for Wind Energy Generators (WEG)</p>
<p>The policy will be valid until March 31, 2030, or until a new repowering policy is announced.</p>
<p><strong>Repowering Projects:</strong> These are projects where WEGs replace old wind turbines with newer ones or undertake intercropping in their wind park/cluster area. A repowering project is classified as a Standalone Project and an Aggregation Project. The owner of a wind project or a third party may act as a Wind Repowering Project Aggregator (WRPA) with or without partnership with owners of other projects in the Aggregation Project. The WRPA can be formed as a special purpose vehicle/joint venture/consortium.</p>
<p><strong>Refurbishment Projects:</strong> Here, the WEGs carry out suitable modifications in turbine components such as gearbox, blades, generator, controller, hub height, and rotor diameter.</p>
<p><strong>Life Extension Projects</strong>: These projects must meet specific requirements to qualify for benefits under this policy. WEGs must apply for life extension within 90 days of completing the design life or 20 years.</p>
<p>To be eligible, WEGs with STU connectivity should have completed their operational life period of 20 years.</p>
<p><strong>Sale of Power</strong></p>
<p>WEGs will be allowed a maximum of 1.5 years for repowering and one year for refurbishment from the approval date.</p>
<p>During this period, WEGs can draw power from the grid to execute the project as per the applicable tariff.</p>
<p>The projects can consume or sell additional generation to Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL)/any other entity/in power exchanges per the existing laws/rules.</p>
<p><strong>Power Purchase Agreements</strong></p>
<p>For WEGs that have an existing PPA with TNPDCL and opt to undertake repowering/refurbishment/life extension under this policy, the existing generation would continue to be procured as per the terms of the existing PPA. The existing PPA tenure will also be extended by a period taken to complete the repowering/refurbishment work or 1.5 years/1 year, respectively, excluding force majeure events, whichever is lesser.</p>
<p>For WEGs that do not have PPAs with TNPDCL at the time of repowering, refurbishment, or life extension and wish to sell power to TNPDCL, the Corporation can enter into PPAs with such projects. This is to procure wind energy at the latest tariff discovered through competitive bidding conducted by SECI or any other central agency for the remaining life period after repowering, refurbishment, or life extension.</p>
<p>The MNRE&#8217;s National Repowering &amp; Life Extension Policy for Wind Power Projects, 2023, states that financial institutions such as PFC, REC, and IREDA will provide loans for repowering on the same terms and conditions as those for new projects. In addition, IREDA will offer an interest rebate of 0.25% on top of the interest rate available to new wind projects. TNGECL will also help WEGs obtain loans to repower or refurbish their projects through these financial institutions.</p>
<p><strong>Banking Arrangements</strong></p>
<p>The existing provision allows annual banking arrangements for WEGs commissioned up to March 31, 2018. However, this policy introduces modified banking arrangements for WEGs that have:</p>
<ul>
<li>completed their operational life of 20 years</li>
<li>not completed their operational life of 20 years but choose to opt for repowering/ refurbishment/life extension under this policy</li>
<li>commissioned after March 31, 2018, and willing to opt for banking arrangements under this policy</li>
</ul>
<p>Those commissioned before March 31, 2018, and chosen not to undergo repowering or refurbishment will follow the old banking arrangements until they complete their 20 years of life from the date of commissioning.</p>
<p><strong>Implementation</strong></p>
<p>Repowering, refurbishment, and life extension of State Transmission Utility (STU)-connected projects will be implemented through the state nodal agency (SNA).</p>
<ol>
<li>Project repowering, refurbishment, or life extension should be done after obtaining approval from the SNA.</li>
<li>The project developer should prepare a Detailed Project Report for land acquisition and site development for the repowering/refurbishment project and submit it to the SNA for verification.</li>
<li>For repowering/refurbishment projects, the developer shall assess the pre-feasibility of evacuation of anticipated energy after repowering/refurbishment through STU.</li>
<li>The project developer will obtain approval from the competent authority for grid connectivity, open access, and wheeling for additional wind generation capacity, as approved by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission.</li>
<li>The SNA will approve the application to Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL) or Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation (TANTRANSCO). TNPDCL or TANTRANSCO will approve and estimate the cost for infrastructure augmentation, if required, within 60 days.</li>
<li>Upon receiving the cost estimation from TNPDCL or TANTRANSCO, the SNA will inform the developer about the cost of infrastructure augmentation and development charges to be paid.<br />
The developer will pay the said charges within 30 days of getting the intimation from the SNA, who will then approve within 30 days of receiving the payment from the developer.</li>
<li>The project developer will be responsible for the cost, risk, and responsibility of dismantling and decommissioning existing WEGs, acquiring land, augmenting the evacuation system, renewing leases, and obtaining approvals.</li>
<li>After completion of repowering/refurbishment/life extension projects, the project developer must inform the SNA to get certification for repowering/ refurbishment/life extension. The date certified by the SNA will be considered the date of repowering/refurbishment/life extension.</li>
<li>Fresh power sale agreements for WEGs must be executed after repowering or refurbishment as per regulations.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Converting Wind Projects Into Wind-Solar Hybrid Projects</strong></p>
<p>Project developers who undertake wind repowering or refurbishment projects under this policy will be permitted to convert their wind projects into wind-solar hybrid projects based on:</p>
<ul>
<li>Generation capacity (MW) from wind and solar at any time should not exceed the allotted evacuation capacity (MW)</li>
<li>Banking for the wind-solar hybrid project will be allowed for the energy generated from the wind energy generator only, and all the provisions of this policy will apply to wind energy only</li>
<li>Slot-wise monthly solar banking will be provided per existing solar policy and regulations</li>
<li>Developers will have the option to install solar wind hybrid projects with or without battery storage</li>
<li>Must run status for solar capacity in wind-solar hybrid project will not be applicable during the wind season (May to September)</li>
</ul>
<p>Last year, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Wind Energy Division, <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-unveils-revised-wind-power-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revised</a> its 2016 policy to repower wind power projects to facilitate the replacement of older turbines.</p>
<p>Subscribe to Mercom&#8217;s real-time <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-renewable-energy-regulatory-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regulatory Updates</a> to ensure you don&#8217;t miss any critical updates from the renewable sector.</p>


Tamil Nadu Issues Wind Repowering and Refurbishment Policy


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					</table><p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/residential-rooftop-solar-owners-go-green-and-save-big" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>In major Indian cities, residential buildings and housing complexes are adopting rooftop solar solutions and transitioning towards clean energy. This transition is primarily driven by the enticing potential</strong></a> for cost savings and incentives. In the first nine months of 2023, India witnessed a notable surge in rooftop solar installations, with a total capacity exceeding 1.3 GW, marking a 12% year-over-year (YoY). The third quarter alone saw the addition of 431 MW, indicating a significant 34.7% YoY growth. Notably, the residential segment dominated with 43% of the total installations in the quarter, as highlighted in Mercom India Research’s Q3 2023 Mercom India Rooftop Solar Market Report.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/totalenergies-adani-brookfield-top-global-solar-developers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>TotalEnergies, Adani Green Energy, and Brookfield Renewable Partners emerged as the leading global large-scale solar photovoltaic project developers in Mercom Capital Group‘s Leading Global Large-Scale Solar PV Developers report</strong></a> released recently. The report revealed the top ten global large-scale solar project developers between July 2022 and June 2023. The developers from around the world with projects in at least two countries were considered based on a set of criteria comprising operational capacity, under-construction capacity, and projects with awarded power purchase agreements.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-unveils-revised-wind-power-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Wind Energy Division, has revised its 2016 policy for repowering wind power projects to facilitate the replacement of older turbines.</strong></a> The ‘National Repowering &amp; Life Extension Policy for Wind Power Projects – 2023’ allows the repowering or replacing of older turbines with more efficient ones, even before the end of their design life, through modifications in components such as gearbox, blades, generator, and controller. The objective of the repowering and life extension policy is to optimize the utilization of wind energy resources by maximizing energy (kWh) yield per square kilometer in the project area, employing the latest onshore wind turbine technologies.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/ireda-loans-program-rooftop-solar-pm-kusum-consumers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has launched its retail division with an emphasis on providing loans in the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) sector.</strong></a> The strategic initiative targets borrowers under the PM-KUSUM program, rooftop solar consumers, and other B2C segments. Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman and Managing Director, IREDA, announced the launch of the retail division, which became operational on December 5, at the Leaders’ Dialogue on “Actioning Solutions for Global Sustainable Development and Governance of Resources” as part of the ongoing COP28 Global Climate Summit in Dubai.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/cerc-upholds-wind-million-bank-guarantee-release" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has ruled that the delay in adopting the tariff order by the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation is a valid reason</strong></a> to claim an extension in the commissioning date for the generating station. It also ordered the release of the performance bank guarantee of ₹330 million (~$3.9 million) to wind developer Mytrah Energy India.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/bihars-ev-policy-%e2%82%b9125000-incentives-new-purchases" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bihar’s New Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy aims to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and the implementation of EV charging stations in the state, ensuring EVs account for 15% of all new vehicles</strong></a> purchased in the state by 2028. The five-year policy, recently approved by the state cabinet, offers up to ₹125,000 (~$1,499) in purchase incentives for the first 1,000 four-wheeler EV purchases. It also extends a minimum 50% rebate on Motor Vehicle Tax for all new EVs in the state.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/global-wind-power-outlook-wood-mackenzie" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The worldwide wind power industry forecast has declined by 29 GW in Q4 2023, indicating that the cumulative installed capacity would fall to 2.35 TW by the end of 2032,</strong></a> according to a report by Wood Mackenzie’s report. The ongoing policy and economic uncertainty in the U.S. and China’s increased restriction on permits and cancellation of projects have led to the combined reductions in these markets, accounting for 82% of the global quarter-over-quarter decline.</p>


Daily News Wrap-Up: Residential Rooftop Solar Gains Momentum


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					</table><p>The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>), Wind Energy Division, has revised its 2016 policy for repowering wind power projects to facilitate the replacement of older turbines.</p>
<p>The &#8216;National Repowering &amp; Life Extension Policy for Wind Power Projects – 2023&#8217; allows the repowering or replacing of older turbines with more efficient ones, even before the end of their design life, through modifications in components such as gearbox, blades, generator, and controller.</p>
<p>The objective of the repowering and life extension policy is to optimize the utilization of wind energy resources by maximizing energy (kWh) yield per square kilometer in the project area, employing the latest onshore wind turbine technologies.</p>
<p>Within a month of announcing this policy, MNRE is expected to establish a monitoring and advisory committee, the Wind Repowering Committee, to assist in implementing the repowering/refurbishment policy. Its responsibilities include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Serving as a liaison between industry stakeholders and state/central government organizations.</li>
<li>Facilitating effective implementation of the repowering policy for the Ministry.</li>
<li>Recommending specific policy and regulatory interventions to realize the repowering potential.</li>
<li>Monitoring the progress of various repowering/refurbishment projects under this policy.</li>
</ul>
<p>The committee will consist of a joint secretary (Wind), MNRE (Chairman), representatives of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency <u><a href="https://www.ireda.in/home#images-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IREDA</a></u>, Solar Energy Corporation of India <u><a href="https://www.seci.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SECI</a></u>, and the central transmission utility, three independent experts from the wind sector (nominated by MNRE), and a representative of NIWE as the member secretary.</p>
<p><strong>Financing</strong></p>
<p>Repowering projects are entitled to various benefits and incentives to encourage their development. The Rural Electrification Corporation, Power Finance Corporation, and IREDA will provide loans for repowering projects under terms and conditions equivalent to those specified for new projects.</p>
<p>As an additional incentive, IREDA will offer a 0.25% interest rate rebate beyond the rate available for new wind projects financed by it. It may also introduce a  debt financing product specifically tailored for repowering wind power projects.</p>
<p>Repowering projects will enjoy all fiscal and financial benefits applicable to new wind projects, provided they meet the relevant conditions. Developers undertaking repowering initiatives will also have the flexibility for micro-siting based on optimizing energy output.</p>
<p>The share of wind power in the country&#8217;s total installed capacity mix has increased from 21.1 GW in March 2014 to 44.29 GW in October 2023.</p>
<p>The National Institute of Wind Energy (<a href="https://niwe.res.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NIWE</a>) has estimated the repowering potential of the country to be 25.4 GW, considering wind turbines below the capacity of 2 MW.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-61162" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NIWE-Repowring-state-wise-potential.png" alt="NIWE Repowring state-wise potential" width="842" height="347" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NIWE-Repowring-state-wise-potential.png 842w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NIWE-Repowring-state-wise-potential-300x124.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NIWE-Repowring-state-wise-potential-768x317.png 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NIWE-Repowring-state-wise-potential-650x268.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NIWE-Repowring-state-wise-potential-624x257.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NIWE-Repowring-state-wise-potential-600x247.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px" /></p>
<p>Wind turbine generator technology has evolved, with individual rated capacities increasing from sub-MW scale to multi-MW scale.</p>
<p>Some older wind turbines have either completed or are nearing the end of their design life, being inefficient compared to the latest technology and having lower hub heights (30-60m) in contrast to the current 120-140m range.</p>
<p>NIWE will issue a repowering potential map for the country, focusing on wind turbines with capacities below 2 MW.</p>
<p>It will also create and manage a project database for all old projects, incorporating ownership, technology, turbine details, connected substations, and land ownership. It will collect and analyze performance data to identify sites requiring repowering or refurbishment by collaborating with state and central nodal agencies.</p>
<p>The policy establishes the following criteria for developers to pursue either repowering or refurbishment:</p>
<ul>
<li>All turbines that do not adhere to the quality control order issued by the Ministry or</li>
<li>Turbines that have attained the end of their design life, certified through the Type Test Certificate in accordance with applicable relevant standards, or</li>
<li>Wind turbines with a rated capacity below 2 MW or</li>
<li>Those considered for repowering/refurbishment based on commercial or voluntary considerations after 15 years of installation.</li>
</ul>
<p>A repowered or refurbished project is one that meets one or more of the specified eligibility conditions. The annual energy generation of the repowered or refurbished wind project must be increased by a minimum of 1.5 times in comparison to the actual generation of the original wind power project.</p>
<p>Repowering projects can be categorized into two types:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Standalone project: </em>This refers to a wind power project consisting of either a single turbine or a group of turbines owned by a single entity.</li>
<li><em>Aggregation project:</em> This pertains to a wind power project comprising a group of turbines owned by multiple owners who share a common infrastructure.</li>
</ul>
<p>If the project owner chooses to extend the life of the wind turbines, any refurbishment undertaken for life extension purposes will be classified as a standalone project.</p>
<p><strong>Power Purchase Agreements</strong></p>
<p>The power purchase arrangement (PPA) entails continuing electricity procurement based on the average of the last three years&#8217; generation until the PPA concludes. The existing PPA tenure may be extended by repowering/refurbishment or a maximum of two years.</p>
<p>The incumbent distribution company has no obligation to purchase or right over additional power post-repowering. Developers can sell extra power as desired, and wind farms/turbines undergoing repowering are exempt from supplying power during the execution period. DISCOMs/PPA owners receive one year&#8217;s notice before repowering, and the old PPA can be terminated by mutual consent.</p>
<p>Repowering/refurbishment projects must be commissioned within 24 months of receiving the consent letter. Partial commissioning and early commissioning of the project are permissible.</p>
<p>In August, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/expedite-efforts-repower-old-wind-turbines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> MNRE to expedite the approval and implementation of the revised policy on repowering old wind turbines.</p>
<p>Subscribe to Mercom’s real-time <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-renewable-energy-regulatory-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regulatory Updates</a> to ensure you don’t miss any critical updates from the renewable sector.</p>


MNRE Unveils Revised Policy for Repowering Wind Power Projects


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					</table><p>The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy has urged the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>) to expedite the approval and implementation of the revised policy on repowering old wind turbines.</p>
<p>In a report on the evaluation of wind energy in India, presented to the Lok Sabha recently, the Committee said most of the wind energy potential is concentrated in eight states and suggested retiring old, inefficient wind turbines occupying prime wind sites.</p>
<p>It recommended replacing the old turbines with advanced, more efficient ones to maximize natural resources and land usage.</p>
<p>In response, MNRE acknowledged the <a href="https://niwe.res.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Institute of Wind Energy</a>&#8216;s estimation of a repowering potential of 25,406 MW for wind turbines below 2 MW capacity. It recalled that a repowering policy was issued in 2016, and a revised policy has been prepared based on <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-seeks-comments-on-repowering-wind-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stakeholder feedback</a>.</p>
<p>The revised policy aims to maximize energy yield per unit area and utilize state-of-the-art onshore wind turbine technologies. The final policy is pending approval.</p>
<p>The ministry also provided insights into the recyclability of wind turbine components and highlighted guidelines for the disposal of thermoset plastic waste.</p>
<p><strong>Offshore Wind Projects</strong></p>
<p>The Standing Committee acknowledged the untapped wind energy potential off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, stressing the higher Capacity Utilization Factor of offshore projects compared to onshore ones.</p>
<p>Despite higher initial costs, the committee suggested that decreasing trends in offshore project costs globally and the imperative to achieve renewable energy targets make establishing offshore wind projects essential. It also proposed proper environmental impact assessments, Viability Gap Funding (VGF), and the development of associated transmission infrastructure for power evacuation.</p>
<p>MNRE estimated an initial phase potential of about 70 GW off the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu coasts. It referred to deploying a mesoscale wind speed map, installing LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) equipment, and preparing studies for offshore wind potential assessment.</p>
<p>The ministry said it had issued a &#8216;Strategy Paper for Offshore Wind Development,&#8217; encompassing a bidding trajectory of 37 GW capacity by 2030. It had also submitted a concept note for an ₹156.08 billion (~$1.88 billion) VGF program for 3 GW offshore capacity for approval.</p>
<p>In addition, MNRE highlighted the Central Transmission Utility&#8217;s planning of transmission infrastructure for an initial 10 GW offshore capacity. It also referred to issuing draft tender documents for sea-bed lease rights allocation and ongoing stakeholder consultations.</p>
<p><strong>Exploitation of Wind Energy Potential</strong></p>
<p>In response to the committee’s observation about the underutilization of wind energy potential, the ministry highlighted steps to promote wind energy, including trajectory for Wind Renewable Purchase Obligation, concessions on customs duty, and policies for repowering and offshore wind development.</p>
<p>About issues related to aggressive bidding and developers backing out of projects, the government said guidelines and provisions for penalties and consequences in the bidding process had been issued in case of default. Provisions include the encashment of performance bank guarantee and debarring developers for not executing projects on time.</p>
<p><strong>RPO Compliance</strong></p>
<p>The standing committee referred to non-compliance of renewable purchase obligation (RPO) targets by several states and recommended that MNRE actively pursue state regulatory commissions for enforcing RPO compliance and penalties against defaulting entities.</p>
<p>Subscribe to Mercom&#8217;s real-time <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-renewable-energy-regulatory-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regulatory Updates</a> to ensure you don&#8217;t miss any critical updates from the renewable sector.</p>


Parliamentary Panel Asks MNRE to Expedite Efforts to Repower Old Wind Turbines


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					</table><p>The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://kerc.karnataka.gov.in/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KERC</a>) has ruled that all existing wind projects in the state can undergo repowering, which means the project can replace old and outdated turbines with modern and more efficient ones.</p>
<p>The Commission also laid out alternative mechanisms for consumers procuring power from these projects during the repowering exercise. The regulator’s order relied on Central and state government repowering policies.</p>
<p>KERC said that consumers with captive wind projects would be allowed to source energy from the grid during repowering.</p>
<p>It added that if the captive users are existing consumers of the electricity supply company (ESCOM), then the tariff of the relevant category would be allowed.</p>
<p>A new agreement would have to be signed if they don’t have an operational power purchase contract with ESCOM. The consumers will also have the choice to purchase power through open access during the project downtime.</p>
<p>Further, the Commission said that if the wind projects are supplying power to the ESCOM through a PPA, the power generated corresponding to the average of the last three years’ generation before the repowering of the project would continue to be procured.</p>
<p>It added that the remaining additional generation from the projects could be purchased by the ESCOMs as per the requirements and at a tariff discovered through a competitive bidding process.</p>
<p>Also, during the repowering of projects, such projects will be exempted from honoring the PPA for the non-availability of generation.</p>
<p>The pre-feasibility for the evacuation of the repowered energy through the state transmission utility (STU) or the central transmission utility (CTU) would be assessed by the project developer, and the augmentation of the transmission system, if required, beyond the pooling station will be done by the STU.</p>
<p>In the ‘Karnataka Renewable Energy Policy 2022’, the government had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/karnataka-aims-10-gw-renewable-projects-2027/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it would promote the repowering of existing wind turbines that had completed ten years of operation.</p>
<p>The government had added that the repowered projects would be allowed to use the additional power for captive or third-party sales within or outside the state.</p>
<p>Last month, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mnre-seeks-comments-on-repowering-wind-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> the ‘Policy for Repowering of the Wind Power Projects, 2022.′ The policy intends to facilitate the optimum utilization of wind turbines below 2 MW whose design life is completed by maximizing their energy yield per square kilometer of the project area by deploying state-of-the-art onshore wind turbine technologies.</p>
<p>Subscribe to Mercom’s real-time <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-renewable-energy-regulatory-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regulatory Updates</a> to ensure you don’t miss any critical updates from the renewable sector.</p>


Regulatory Approval Granted for Repowering Wind Projects in Karnataka


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					</table><p>India has an estimated wind repowering potential of 25.4 GW considering wind turbines of less than 2 MW capacity, according to the ‘Policy for Repowering of the Wind Power Projects, 2022&#8242; issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>).</p>
<p>The policy intends to facilitate the optimum utilization of wind turbines below 2 MW whose design life is completed by maximizing their energy yield per square kilometer of the project area by deploying state-of-the-art onshore wind turbine technologies.</p>
<p>Once approved, the policy will annul the earlier wind repowering policy issued in 2016.</p>
<p>Stakeholders can submit their comments by November 1, 2022.</p>
<p><strong>Eligibility</strong></p>
<p>Repowering will be allowed for wind turbines with less than 2 MW capacity and whose total capacity has completed 90% of its design life. A set of existing wind turbines will be eligible for repowering if the project area is a contiguous land and all turbines considered for repowering are connected to a single polling substation.</p>
<p>For standalone projects, State Nodal Agencies (SNA) or Central Nodal Agencies (CNA) must identify the potential turbines for repowering and elicit interest from the potential project owner. The project owner must then submit the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for repowering the old project to the SNA or CNA for verification.</p>
<p>Based on the DPR, the SNA or CNA will coordinate with the respective transmission utility for the availability of the transmission capacity, if required. On scrutiny of the project and transmission capacity availability, SNA or CNA can consent to the project developer after obtaining in-principle approval from the distribution company.</p>
<p><strong>Implementation arrangements</strong></p>
<p>In the case of aggregation projects, the SNAs or CNAs can identify the potential turbines for repowering. In such cases, SNAs or CNAs either nominate any state or central public sector enterprise as Wind Repowering Project Aggregators (WRPA) to repower the project or elicit interest from private developers.</p>
<p>The selection of the private developer as WRPAs will be based on minimum technical criteria and the submission of consent letters from all the identified turbine owners.</p>
<p>A private developer can also identify potential turbines for repowering and submit a proposal to the SNA or CNA, along with consent letters from all the identified turbine owners. In such cases, the SNA or CNA must nominate the private developer as the WRPA.</p>
<p><strong>Arrangement for power purchase</strong></p>
<p>The power generated, corresponding to the average of the previous three years&#8217; generation before repowering, would continue to be procured per the terms of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).</p>
<p>If the PPA tenure is less than 25 years, the DISCOM concerned must arrange to extend the tenure of the PPA for 25 years from the original project&#8217;s commissioning date and continue to procure the power generated for the remaining tenure of the PPA.</p>
<p>Project developers can sell additional wind power capacity to the incumbent DISCOMs or any other entity through open access if the DISCOM concerned refuses to procure the power. The power procured by the DISCOM concerned will be at the discovered tariff of the project.</p>
<p>Wind turbines undergoing repowering would be exempted from supplying power to the purchasing entity during repowering. The repowering period must not exceed two years from the commencement of the repowering.</p>
<p>The DISCOM will neither have any right over the additional power generated nor will it be obligated to purchase the additional power generated after repowering.</p>
<p>When captive or third-party sale wind power projects are being repowered, their consumers must be allowed to purchase power from the grid. The SNA or CNA may coordinate with DISCOMs to temporarily facilitate such load.</p>
<p><strong>Incentives</strong></p>
<p>For repowering projects, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) will provide an additional interest rate rebate of 0.25% over the interest rate available to new wind projects financed by the agency.</p>
<p>The Wind Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) compliance of the state where the repowering project is situated will be exempted for the remaining period until the commissioning of the repowered project. An enhanced RPO multiplier will be provided to the repowered project for the remaining period of PPA.</p>
<p>In July, the Ministry of Power <a href="https://mercomindia.com/power-ministry-notifies-wind-hydro-and-energy-storage-purchase-obligation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a policy mandating wind RPO to boost wind installations and reduce the cost of power generated from wind projects. States will have to meet 0.81% of their energy demand from wind power in FY 2022-23. By 2020-30, the requirement will be 6.94%.</p>
<p><strong>Wind Repowering Committee</strong></p>
<p>Within one month of the announcement of this policy, MNRE will appoint a Wind Repowering Committee (WRC) to help implement the repowering policy. The joint secretary of wind, MNRE, will chair the WRC. Other members will include representatives of IREDA, Solar Energy Corporation of India, Central Transmission Utility, SNAs, and three independent experts from the wind sector. A representative from the National Institute for Wind Energy will be the member secretary.</p>
<p>India <a href="https://mercomindia.com/wind-installations-india-grew-129-with-878-mw-added-in-q3/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">installed</a> 878 MW of wind capacity in the third quarter (Q3) of 2022, a 129% year-over-year increase compared to 384 MW installed in the same period last year. Installations grew over 104% quarter-over-quarter compared to Q2 2022. The significant rise in installations during the quarter was primarily due to the commissioning of projects that were pending.</p>


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