The New Indian Express
CHENNAI: Planning to tap offshore wind energy, the Centre has  identified Tamil Nadu and Gujarat coasts to launch two pilot projects through a joint venture company.  Sites for the proposed projects would be selected by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), according to Alok Shrivastava, Joint Secretary of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
The move comes in the wake of the European Delegation to India granting the Facilitating Offshore Wind in India (FOWIND) project to the consortium led by the GWEC in June 2013. The formal contract in this regard was signed last December.
Disclosing that the MoU would be signed in the next couple of weeks, Shrivastava said once the site is finalised, a joint venture between blue chip companies would be formalised. Besides MNRE, National Thermal Power Corporation, Power Grid Corporation, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, Power Finance Corporation, Power Trading Corporation, National Institute of Wind Energy and Gujarat Power Corporation would be roped in.
