Question 1

Wind energy constitutes the largest share of India's renewable energy capacity.

Accepted Answer

Solar power holds the dominant share (over 130 GW as of early 2025), while wind power is second (surpassing 50 GW).

Question 2

Repowering a wind project simply means repairing and maintaining old turbines to extend their operational life.

Accepted Answer

Under the 2023 MNRE policy, 'repowering' specifically requires replacing older, lower-capacity turbines entirely with modern, highly efficient multi-MW turbines to increase actual power generation by at least 1.5 times.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the 'National Repowering & Life Extension Policy for Wind Power Projects - 2023':
1. Only wind turbines that have formally completed their certified design life of 25 years are eligible for repowering under the policy.
2. The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) provides an additional interest rate rebate specifically for repowering projects compared to new wind projects.
3. Developers are legally mandated to supply all additional power generated post-repowering to the incumbent DISCOM at previously agreed tariffs.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

(a) Only one — Statement 1 is incorrect: Turbines below 2 MW capacity, or those whose owners opt voluntarily for commercial reasons after 15 years, are also eligible. Statement 2 is correct: IREDA provides an additional 0.25% interest rate rebate for repowering. Statement 3 is incorrect: A hallmark change in the 2023 policy is that DISCOMs have no right over additional power; developers can sell surplus energy freely on power exchanges or via new bilateral agreements.

Question 4

Match the following entities with their specific role in India's Wind Energy ecosystem:

List I
A. NIWE (National Institute of Wind Energy)
B. IREDA
C. SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India)
D. Wind Repowering Committee

List II
1. Provides an additional 0.25% interest rebate for repowering projects
2. Primary central implementing agency issuing RE power procurement tenders
3. Prepares the repowering potential map of India based on sub-2 MW turbines
4. Acts as the central monitoring and advisory body for policy implementation

Accepted Answer

(a) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4 — NIWE estimates India's wind and repowering potential (estimated at 25.4 GW) and issues potential maps (A-3). IREDA handles renewable debt financing, including the specific 0.25% rebate for repowering (B-1). Despite 'Solar' in its name, SECI is the major Central Nodal Agency that issues utility-scale wind and hybrid procurement tenders (C-2). The Wind Repowering Committee was mandated by the 2023 policy to monitor execution (D-4).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The 2023 National Repowering Policy places a strong emphasis on replacing early-installed wind turbines in states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat to maximize energy yield per square kilometer.
Reason (R): Early wind power projects in India occupied the highest wind-velocity sites but utilized inefficient sub-MW capacity turbines with significantly lower hub heights.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

Accepted Answer

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A — India started harnessing wind energy in the late 1980s. The prime windy sites (Class I sites) were occupied by older, smaller turbines (<2 MW) which do not fully tap into the wind potential at higher altitudes. Because land availability in these prime zones is saturated, the 2023 policy specifically targets repowering these sites with advanced multi-MW turbines to increase the energy yield per square kilometer. Thus, the Reason correctly explains the Assertion.

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