MNRE Celebrates Global Wind Day 2024, Emphasizing Wind Energy’s Role in India’s Future

New Delhi: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) celebrated Global Wind Day 2024 with a special event aimed at highlighting the achievements and future potential of India’s wind energy sector. With the theme “Pawan–Urja: Powering the Future of India,” the event featured insightful panel discussions on critical topics such as the role of wind energy in meeting power demand, accelerating onshore wind energy adoption, and developing offshore wind projects to bolster India’s energy security.

The event was graced by Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State of New & Renewable Energy and Power, and Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, Secretary, MNRE, along with other key stakeholders from the government, industry, and academia.

India’s wind energy sector has a rich history spanning over four decades, with a cumulative installed wind power capacity of 46.4 GW as of May 2024, making it the fourth largest in the world. The event focused on the potential for further growth, addressing challenges, and outlining strategies to enhance wind energy generation capacity, which is essential for meeting India’s Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs). Wind energy is crucial for India to achieve its goal of 50% electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2070.

In his inaugural address, Shripad Yesso Naik emphasized the need for collective action to achieve renewable energy targets, positioning India as a leader in wind energy and creating a greener, brighter future for all. He also facilitated the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu for achieving the highest wind capacity addition during the fiscal year 2023-24.

Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, in his keynote address, highlighted the sector’s achievements over the past year and encouraged stakeholders to collaborate towards realizing both short-term and long-term goals. He stressed the importance of combining solar and wind energy to ensure a more reliable grid and to reach the target of 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2070.

The event featured three panel discussions with active participation from central and state government authorities, manufacturers and developers, academia, think tanks, and other key stakeholders. The discussions explored the potential of both onshore and offshore wind energy, identifying opportunities for growth and innovation in the sector.