As India gears up to add 100 gigawatts (GW) of wind power by 2030, the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) has suggested that the power evacuation infrastructure must keep pace with future wind capacity additions.
The suggestions form part of a comparative assessment undertaken by IWTMA, with support from MEC Intelligence. The study analyses regulatory frameworks governing wind energy development across eight states—Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, which account for nearly 90 per cent of India’s onshore wind pipeline.
At present, wind power projects face challenges such as grid construction delays, grid allocation, land (Right of Way), developer-related issues, other regulatory issues and delays in signing Power Sale Agreement (PSA).
Evacuation infrastructure
IWTMA emphasised that transmission planning plays an important role in ensuring that evacuation infrastructure keeps pace with future wind capacity additions. The study assesses availability of long-term transmission plans, the publication of substation capacity and transparency in grid planning.
Accordingly, the report suggested preparing rolling transmission plans linked to projected renewable energy additions, publishing available substation capacity and regular monitoring of transmission infrastructure development to improve evacuation readiness.
In the state-wise assessment of grid planning, the report observed that Gujarat has established a five-year rolling transmission plan, supported by annual progress reporting and publication of substation-wise available capacity. While Madhya Pradesh adopted a similar framework, Andhra Pradesh introduced a structured five-year transmission plan with annual progress monitoring.
On the other hand, Maharashtra follows a ten-year transmission planning framework, whereas several other states currently do not have dedicated wind transmission plans.
The IWTMA report also highlighted that timely grid connectivity is essential to ensure that completed wind projects can be commissioned without delay. The study evaluates connectivity applications, feasibility assessment, grant of connectivity and transfer procedures.
For this, it recommended adoption of digital connectivity platforms, time-bound processing of applications and standardised procedures for transfer of connectivity across states.
“Maharashtra and Gujarat provide defined timelines for grant of connectivity following technical feasibility assessment. Maharashtra has also introduced a structured procedure governing transfer of connectivity rights, including clearly defined approval requirements,” the report pointed out.
Right of Way
The report emphasised that Right of Way (RoW) approvals remain a key implementation challenge for transmission infrastructure associated with wind projects.
It has stressed on digitising RoW approvals, introducing clearly defined compensation mechanisms and establishing structured dispute resolution processes to improve project execution.
In this direction, Gujarat has introduced an online portal for processing RoW approvals supported by defined workflows. On the other hand, Maharashtra established a structured escalation mechanism for dispute resolution with notified timelines.
However, none of the eight benchmarked states currently demonstrates best practice with respect to compensation frameworks for RoW, indicating a common area for policy improvement, the report added.
Another headwind is land acquisition, which continues to be one of the most time-consuming stages in wind project development. The report recommends the adoption of transparent land allotment policies, time-bound online land-use conversion processes and simplified statutory approval mechanisms to improve project implementation.
In this regard, the report said that Gujarat has established a structured framework for allocation of government wasteland and designated renewable energy parks with clearly defined eligibility and allocation procedures.
Karnataka and Maharashtra introduced provisions for online land-use conversion with defined timelines and deemed approvals in cases where approvals are delayed. However, several states continue to rely on multiple approval authorities, increasing project development timelines, it added.