India's offshore wind era: Gujarat gears up; ₹6,900 cr transmission boost, green targets in sight
Powergrid
, will develop the project under the regulated tariff mechanism at an estimated cost of ₹ 6,900 crore.
As per the implementation plan, the infrastructure is slated to be ready by March 2029. The power ministry, based on recommendations from the 20th meeting of the National Committee on Transmission (NCT), recently cleared the development of the associated transmission system for Phase 1 of the 500MW viability gap-funded offshore wind project located off Gujarat's coastline. This marks the first tangible step towards realising India's
offshore wind energy
plans.
"The transmission system includes the establishment of an onshore pooling station at Mahuva, a 190-km 400kV transmission line connecting Mahuva to Vataman, and a Gujarat offshore sub-station. The offshore installation will be connected to the onshore grid via a 35-km subsea cable and a 10-km underground cable, completing a critical link between wind turbines in the Arabian Sea and the state grid," stated a power ministry official.
In line with India's green energy ambitions of achieving 500GW of non-fossil fuel-based installed capacity by 2030, the state govt here has also set a target of 100GW of installed capacity by 2030, i.e., over the next five years. As of June 30, 2025, Gujarat's installed RE capacity touched 35,000MW. According to industry experts, this development is a turning point for India's offshore wind energy policy, first announced over a decade ago.
Kunj Shah, chairman of the renewable committee at Assocham Gujarat state council, said, "Offshore wind energy has potential benefits." He noted that while power generation from wind can be intermittent due to unpredictable wind flow and direction, installing wind infrastructure 5 kilometres offshore may offer more consistent power and improved yield. There are currently challenges with grid infrastructure for renewable energy sources. In this context, offshore projects could provide a more reliable source of renewable energy. European countries are investing in similar projects and suggested that accelerating project implementation in Gujarat could assist the state in achieving its
green energy targets
.
In fact, sources revealed that the Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) has also set a target of investing ₹ 1 lakh crore to set up robust transmission infrastructure in the state to be able to evacuate the green power the state's plants produce. Parallely, the centre has also cleared a slew of transmission projects in Gujarat to strengthen the evacuation framework for renewable energy zones (REZs) across the state.
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