India is set to establish its first offshore wind farm prototype with a 6.25 MW turbine planned in the coastal waters off Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi. According to reports from The Hindu BusinessLine, the project involves installing the turbine around 1,650 metres from the southern breakwater of Thoothukudi's inner harbour. The project is being tendered by the Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Ltd (IPRCL) and is estimated to cost ₹77 crore. As per industry experts, this marks a significant milestone as offshore wind moves from policy intent to something the industry can test and learn from.
The contract covers the design, procurement, construction, installation, testing and commissioning of the turbine, followed by two years of operations and maintenance. As reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, power generated by the turbine will be evacuated to the state grid through onshore energy meters that will record both electricity exported to the grid and power imported from it. The meters will operate in line with applicable norms of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) and Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation (Tantransco). According to The Hindu BusinessLine, the turbine would generate operating experience on wind-resource performance, installation and vessel logistics, port and local supply-chain mobilisation, and evacuation of electricity from the sea.
The proposed project is expected to help India build experience in the technical and logistical challenges of offshore wind development. According to official documents cited in the report, the prototype will provide experience in wind-resource assessment, turbine installation, vessel logistics, port operations, local supply-chain mobilisation and the evacuation of electricity from offshore installations. The project is intended to build capabilities in engineering, marine logistics, grid connectivity and operations that would be needed to deploy offshore wind projects at a larger scale. As noted by Hero Future Energies Global CEO Srivatsan Iyer, this installation can catalyse the offshore wind industry and help build confidence among developers, lenders and policymakers ahead of commercial-scale projects.
As of June 30, 2026, India had an installed wind capacity of 57,443 MW, with Tamil Nadu accounting for more than 10,734 MW, the second highest after Gujarat, according to data by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. As reported by The Hindu BusinessLine, this prototype will provide crucial experience in vessel logistics, port operations and local supply-chain mobilisation, which could help build capabilities needed for larger offshore wind projects in the future. The choice of the Thoothukudi coast is significant as it combines favourable offshore wind conditions with an established port ecosystem and maritime logistics infrastructure.
