Offshore wind energy status, challenges, opportunities, environmental impacts, occupational health, and safety management in India

Abstract

Offshore wind is at its infancy in terms of technology and capacities in India. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) announced medium and long term offshore targets of 5 GW and 30 GW by 2022 and 2030, respectively. The location of the first offshore wind park has recently been identified, and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has signed a contract with the Government of Gujarat to establish the 1000 MW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2019. To achieve the ambitious targets, India will require demand and resources planning, and policy support at an unprecedented scale. The MNRE notified the country’s offshore wind energy policy in 2015, and draft offshore wind energy lease rules in 2019. In this paper, several offshore wind energy challenges have been identified, and a clear policy road map and effective support schemes required to trigger offshore wind development activity for medium to long term are suggested. The environmental consequences of European offshore wind farms are assessed to optimize future monitoring of offshore wind programmes in India. Furthermore, the occupational health and safety management requirements are highlighted to ensure that the accidents, vulnerabilities, and hazards are avoided. The research and development (R&D) considerations are provided to assist policymakers, potential investors, stakeholders, designers and manufacturers, contractors, professional advisers, and wind farm developers in their decisions and planning.

A participatory based public administration model to increase awareness and proactive behavior in occupational health and safety

“…e) Equipment, machines, and objects must function safely according to their intended use, with operational controls designed according to human capabilities. f) To limit the repercussions of accidents, incidents, and injuries, the proper emergency response must be provided (Charles Rajesh Kumar et al, 2021). The following principles are essential for comprehending the relationship between disaster prevention and uninterrupted production: a) Sometimes, accident prevention is viewed as a social burden rather than a crucial aspect of disorder prevention.…”

An overview of wind energy development and policy initiatives in India

“…Now, the focus has turned to the stronger wind resource area off Tamil Nadu. India has announced a national target of generating 5 GW by 2022 and 30 GW by 2030 ( IANS ; Kumar J et al 2020 ); however, the first plan seems to be no longer feasible and the second plan would require rapid deployment. The cost per MW offshore wind generation is comparatively higher than onshore because of developing structures in the marine environment.…”

Recent developments and issues of small-scale wind turbines in urban residential buildings- A review

“…These factors have made the researchers work in computational fluid dynamics to improve turbine efficiency. 40,41 The exposure of micro energy applications to urban environments involving complex modeling was formulated by researchers recently. Cheng et al 42 investigated the effects of flow fields over different layers and analyzed the roughness effects of the turbine in a complicated scenario.…”

“…79,80 They listed that many technological modifications need to be made on the wind turbine to enhance its functionality in unfavorable conditions, establish accuracy in wind measurement, manufacture with local bodies, and robust transportation. 41,81 Kulkarni et al 82 analyzed the impact of climatic changes on wind persistence in Indian offshore conditions. The research identified four significant locations and was validated using different techniques.…”