The Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI) has launched a tender for a 500-MW offshore wind project off the coast of Gujarat. The initiative, announced on Friday, is part of India's broader efforts to expand its renewable energy capacity.
SECI, operating under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), will establish a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the winning bidder, who will be responsible for the construction, ownership, and operation of the wind farm. Bids are due by December, with a pre-bid meeting scheduled for October 22.
This project marks SECI's inaugural offshore wind tender and is eligible for Viability Gap Funding (VGF). The MNRE published guidelines for the VGF scheme last week, which aims to support the development of 1 GW of offshore wind capacity, split equally between Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. The overall budget for this initiative is set at INR 68.53 billion (USD 817 million/EUR 734 million).