• KfW organised dedicated video conference (VC) sessions for Indian public sector partners on various aspects of planning, implementation and operation of offshore wind projects 
• Mr. Rolf Gebhardt, a renowned expert on technical due diligence and evaluations of offshore wind projects in Europe and Asia, shared best practices, challenges and lessons learned
• The objective was to support market development in India; participants from NTPC, REC, IREDA and SECI joined the four VC sessions

Offshore wind energy projects hold some advantages over onshore ones, such as higher yields through stronger and steadier wind speeds as well as no additional land requirements for the installation of plants. However, they may also pose numerous challenges, including additional risks and higher initial investment costs in connection with a more difficult installation process and operation and maintenance of large structures in the open sea. As of December 2018, about 23 GW of offshore wind capacity had been installed worldwide, with Europe accounting for the largest share (approx. 77%), followed by China (approx. 20%).

As of today, India does not possess any offshore wind plants. However, as a result of its long coastline of approx. 7,600 km, its rising electricity needs, climate targets and scarce land resources, the Indian government is starting to develop the offshore wind sector, and initial projects are expected to be announced in the coming years. A number of Indian public entities will play a critical role in developing this market. 

In order to support further preparation of the sector, and share lessons, challenges and best practices from Europe and beyond with some of the crucial Indian public sector entities, KfW organised dedicated training sessions for Indian stakeholders. These training sessions were conducted by renowned German expert, Mr. Rolf Gebhardt. Mr. Gebhardt has worked in the offshore wind sector for over 15 years and has been involved in the planning, due diligence process, development and monitoring of over 50 offshore wind projects in Europe and recently in Taiwan as well. He has also served as a lead expert for KfW Banking Group in identifying offshore wind projects.

The training sessions took place between October and December 2019 and were attended by participants from leading public sector actors such as NTPC, REC, IREDA and SECI.