Denmark still in talks to set up wind farm in Gulf of Mannar

CHENNAI: The 1GW offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Mannar off Tamil Nadu, proposed by a Danish firm, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is likely to come up in the next year, says Danish Ambassador to India Freddy Svane.

The ambassador, who is here to mark Danish power cable major NKT A/S’s 130th anniversary, says talks are still on with the Centre and the State to set up the first offshore windmill park.

According to the proposal document accessed by TNIE, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has initially planned for a 1GW offshore wind farm which requires 80 wind turbines and foundations. It would require `185 billion capital expenditure between 2023 and 2026. It would include a network of submarine cables interconnecting the turbines besides a network of offshore and onshore substations. This would also require subsea cables and onshore cables connecting the wind farm to the grid.

The Danish envoy parried queries on viability gap funding for the project. Denmark’s proposal has sought `37 billion (USD 465 million-equivalent) capital grant paid at the stage of construction. Similarly, the Union government has to clear the proposal by coming out with an offshore wind policy.

Meanwhile, Danish power cable major NKT plans to increase the headcount at its Global Competence Centre here to about 120 from the current 50-70. NKT president and chief executive officer Alexander Kara said NKT decided to enter India in 2019.