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with policymakers and industry stakeholders
to find solutions around these key issues,
accelerating growth of the market in years
to come and unlocking India’s full wind
potential.
GWEC

GRID
ADB approves loan for

issued by the state government for the government and industry stakeholders. power distribution system
banking of power, transmission and wheeling During the G20 Summit on 22 November,
charges, power projects with storage systems, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi upgrade in India
and rooftop solar projects. highlighted the role that renewable energy
will need to play to power new jobs, The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has
investment and other socioeconomic benefits agreed to provide a combined sovereign and
WIND for a sustainable economic recovery from non-sovereign loan amounting to $190m for
COVID-19, and reaffirming India’s ambitious the upgrade and modernisation of power
Accelerating wind power renewable energy targets. Driven by rising distribution system in Bengaluru city in the
Indian state of Karnataka.
energy demand, economic benefits and
growth in India and driving a heightened sense of urgency upon the $100m for the Bengaluru Smart Energy
ADB will provide a sovereign loan of
accelerating trends of climate chance such as
a green recovery with GWEC the recent Cyclone Nivar, it is not surprising Efficient Power Distribution Project and $90m
that India has established such ambitious
to Bangalore Electricity Supply Company
India goals to develop renewable energy in the (BESCOM) without sovereign guarantee loan.
ADB South Asia principal energy
country.
As the third largest carbon emitter in the By 2022, the Indian government is specialist Teruhisa Oi said: “Reliable and
world, decarbonising India’s energy system targeting 175 GW of renewable energy, with sustainable electricity distribution and service
is crucial to achieve global decarbonisation wind power accounting for 60GW, and by is an important aspect of India’s growth and
targets and support international efforts 2030, the government is targeting a whopping development
to keep global warming under 1.5°C pre- 450 GW, with wind power accounting for “We believe that this project will improve
industrial levels – and wind power will play 140 GW. Although India is already the fourth the efficient distribution and delivery of
a key role for India to achieve the country’s largest wind power market in the world, electricity supply to residents of Bengaluru
climate targets. the country would need to nearly double its and support the Government of India’s
Wind energy kickstarted the renewable current capacity to meet its 2022 target, and strategy of building an energy-efficient
energy revolution in India and has helped GWEC Market Intelligence expects that India distribution network.”
the country mitigate around 50.87 million could fall short by up to 10 GW. Under the project, 7,200km of overhead
tonnes of CO2 in the past two years alone. Project installation has decelerated in distribution lines will be converted to
However, wind power growth has slowed recent years, with only 2.3 GW installed in underground cables and laid parallelly
down in India recently due to regulatory 2019, nearly half of the 4.1 GW installed just along with the 2,800km of fibre optic
barriers, with projects delayed further due to two years earlier in 2017. This slowdown is a communication cables.
the COVID-19 crisis. The country cannot risk result of the last three central wind auctions The fibre optic cables will be used for smart
slowing down its wind power development being cancelled or undersubscribed due to metering systems, distribution automation
now, not only to ensure that decarbonisation low tariff caps and onerous tender conditions, system (DAS) in the distribution grid, and
takes place at the necessary rate meet its goals as well as other market challenges such as other communication networks.
under the Paris Agreement, but also to unlock grid and land availability and off-taker risks. Additionally, the project will involve the
the socioeconomic benefits of wind power to According to GWEC’s Q3 2020 Market installation of 1,700 automated ring main
drive a green recovery. Outlook, the impacts of COVID-19 combined units integrated with DAS to monitor and
Last week during the annual Global with market challenges in India will likely control the distribution line switchgears from
RE-Invest conference organised by the bring down onshore wind installations by 6.1 the control centre.
Indian Ministry of New and Renewable GW in the next five years compared to our The loan awarded to BESCOM, one of five
Energy, GWEC announced that we will pre-COVID forecasts, a reduction of 29 per state-owned distribution utilities in the state,
establish GWEC India, a new India-based cent. will be used to boost its utility’s operation
industry platform to tap into India’s huge To achieve India’s wind power targets, and maintenance capabilities, as well as the
wind potential. The new platform will focus efforts by the government to lower barriers environment and social safeguards.
on building out India’s huge potential and around market design, grid infrastructure
local supply capacity, addressing regulatory and land allocations must be intensified, in
bottlenecks, sharing best international order to revive auction appetite and resolve WIND
practices and experience, as well as the execution challenges facing India’s wind
facilitating dialogue and cooperation between market. Through GWEC India, we will work

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