Tamil Nadu aims to create South Asian Renewable Energy Corridor: State Minister

New Delhi [India] September 23 (ANI): Tamil Nadu is aiming to create a South Asian Renewable Energy Corridor, enabling round-the-clock clean power, said the state's Transport and Electricity Minister S S Sivasankar here on Tuesday.

"Together with Sri Lanka and other regional partners, Tamil Nadu stands ready to serve as the gateway for renewable energy. We can create a South Asian Renewable Energy Corridor," the minister said during the 6th International Energy Conference and Exhibition in New Delhi.

The state also plans to add 10,000 MW of Solar and 2,000 MW of wind in the next 5 years to achieve its energy transition goals. "With our strong solar potential and long coastline, we are creating synergies between solar, wind, and storage to deliver reliable, round-the-clock renewable power," he said.

The minister highlighted that Tamil Nadu today has the highest wind capacity in India and continues to add new capacity through the repowering of older turbines and the development of new hybrid wind-solar parks, as well as reinforcing the wind business ecosystem by launching the country's first wind repowering policy in 2024.

The state has also been a frontrunner with key policy initiatives for Renewable Energy (RE) technologies, being the 2nd State in India to launch a Pumped Storage Policy 2024, Small Hydel Policy 2024 and an Integrated Renewable Energy Policy is under development.

"We are advancing battery storage projects and smart grid integration to maximise renewable utilisation and reduce curtailment," he said.

The surplus available during solar hours is stored using Storage Solutions and to be used during peak hours, the 500MW/1000 MWh BESS project LoA has been released, and commercial operation is expected by December 2026, the Tamil Nadu minister said.

"We are in the process of floating a tender for 375MW/1500 MWh BESS and 30 MW/ 90 MWh Solar +BESS plants," he added.

Tamil Nadu has put in place policies that actively encourage private sector participation, global collaborations, and R&D in areas such as advanced wind turbine technologies and offshore wind platforms.

The minister invited partnerships in FDI, technology, and supply chain localisation as the state builds India's first offshore wind ecosystem along the Tamil Nadu coast.

Tamil Nadu also offers a well-established value chain for the manufacturing of Wind and Solar energy-related equipment. The existing manufacturing for wind blades and turbines is 500 MW per year, and 3,000 MW per year for Solar panels/wafers, etc, he said.

"By working together, we can energise economies, empower communities, and truly engage in a pathway towards a net-zero future," he added.

The state stands as one of the largest renewable energy states in India, with more than 20 GW of installed renewable capacity, out of which over 10 GW comes from wind power alone, and Tamil Nadu was the 1st state in India to implement wind energy banking since 1990, he added. (ANI)