A study on India's first offshore LIDAR‐based wind profiling at Gulf of Khambhat

• Date: 01 May 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2044
• Author: Moinak Maiti,Jayita Maiti
• Published date: 01 May 2020

PRACTITIONER PAPER

A study on India's first offshore LIDAR-based wind profiling at

Gulf of Khambhat

Moinak Maiti

1

| Jayita Maiti

2

1

Department of Finance, National Research

University Higher School of Economics, St.

Petersburg School of Economics and

Management, Saint Petersburg, Russia

2

Independent Consultant, India

Correspondence

Moinak Maiti, Department for Finance,

National Research University Higher School of

Economics, St. Petersburg School of

Economics and Management, Saint Petersburg,

Russia.

Email: mmaiti@hse.ru; maitisoft@gmail.com

A maiden attempt has been made to study India's first offshore LIDAR-based wind

profiling at Gulf of Khambhat. Both time series and panel data are used to derive the

study conclusions. Quantile and panel analysis of the wind profiling done and based

on that study finds interesting results. Study finds that wind characteristics are not

constant over the quantiles and even change the polarisation. Study also concludes

that wind dispersion is highly positively related to the wind speed. Finally, study con-

cludes that there is no cross-sectional (12 sectors: 40 to 200 m) random effect. Study

findings have high policy implications.

JEL CLASSIFICATION

Q2; C2; C3

1|INTRODUCTION

India, among the emerging nations, is one of the well-known nations

that produce large scale of energy from the renewable resources of

energy. In terms of electricity generation, renewable sources of

energy altogether contributed more than 30% of the total installed

power capacity. In terms of renewable energy production in India,

hydro power still dominates over solar and wind power.

BloombergNEF reported that solar and onshore wind energies are the

cheapest sources of energy in all major economies except Japan due

to technology advancements. The report also highlighted that espe-

cially China and India are now switching to these economic sources of

energies over traditional sources of energy coal. Presently, Indian gov-

ernment is running the most major and ambiguous renewable pro-

gramme targeting more than double folding wind and 15 times more

solar power generation by 2022. (Executive Summary Power Sector,

2018; Summary of All India Provisional Renewable Energy Generation

(PDF), 2019; Press Information Bureau, 2018; Bloomberg NEF, 2019;

Moneycontrol News, 2018)

Since 1990, India initiated developing wind power, and thereafter,

significant development has been seen, especially, in the last few

years. In comparison with developed countries like Europe, United

States, Denmark, and others, India is a new baby, but presently, India

is the fourth largest country with the highest wind power capacity in

the world. Tamil Naidu, Maharashtra, Gujrat, Rajasthan, and Karnataka

are among the top five Indian states with the highest production of

wind power. Currently, wind power contributes total 10% of India's

total energy production. Last year in 2018, Indian government's Minis-

try of New and Renewable Energy have announced about its hybrid

energy policy that aims to integrate both solar and wind energy at a

time to maximise the use of the same piece of land. Then, Indian gov-

ernment's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy also move its

attention towards the development of offshore wind power in the

country in line with other developed nations like Denmark. Offshore

wind power has certain advantages like cost and operational effi-

ciency over onshore wind power. Then, onshore wind power faces

severe problems like unpredictable wind speeds and wind directions,

which directly affects the efficiency of turbines. Based on preliminary

analysis, southern tip and western coast of India are identified as the

potential future sites for the offshore wind power. Accordingly, at the

end of 2015, Indian government announces policy and lays down

framework to tap possible potential offshore wind project in the

country. Based on the policy framework, eight potential zones have

been identified in two Indian states namely Gujrat and Tamil Nadu to

implement the offshore wind power. (Executive Summary Power

Sector, 2018; Summary of All India Provisional Renewable Energy

Generation (PDF), 2019; Press Information Bureau, 2018; Bloomberg

NEF, 2019; Moneycontrol News, 2018)

“Gulf of Khambhat”in Gujrat is one among them and is located

23–40 km seaward side from Pipavav port. The first offshore LIDAR

was installed in the Gulf of Khambhat in 2017 to measure the wind

resources to validate the potential of the chosen zones for proposed

Received: 26 August 2019 Revised: 15 September 2019 Accepted: 22 October 2019

DOI: 10.1002/pa.2044

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