EIL advances green energy plans, including offshore wind and biofuels

New Delhi: Engineers India Ltd (EIL), a public sector undertaking, is exploring renewable energy opportunities, and has started negotiating with green power developers to design and develop offshore wind infrastructure in India.

On Wednesday, EIL chairperson and managing director Vartika Shukla said the company has revived its offshore division and expects to undertake several projects within the next year.

“We have been reaching out to our clients...for putting offshore wind. We have revived our offshore division. Some years ago, we were very active in offshore...we are fully capable in designing the structural pattern, the deck, platforms and jackets. That capability is what we are offering to our clients.” 

EIL has played a key role in developing offshore oil and gas projects, including Mumbai High and other fields on India’s west and east coasts. According to its website, its offshore pipeline capabilities include conceptual studies, feasibility reports, basic and detailed engineering, surveys, environmental engineering, procurement services, construction supervision and commissioning, besides overall project management.

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Offshore wind projects are installed in large water bodies, such as seas and oceans. Key components, including seabed installation and grid connectivity, make these projects highly cost-intensive. 

The Union ministry of new and renewable energy plans to promote these projects to achieve its ambitious target of 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030.

In June, the Union Cabinet had approved a viability gap funding (VGF) scheme for offshore wind energy projects with a total outlay of ₹7,453 crore. This includes ₹6,853 crore for the installation and commissioning of 1GW of offshore wind projects—500MW each off the coasts of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu—and ₹600 crore for upgrading two ports to meet the logistics requirements for these projects.

Renewable growth

Offshore wind is a renewable energy source that offers several advantages over onshore wind and solar projects, including higher reliability, reduced storage requirements, and greater employment potential.

Shukla also highlighted EIL’s role in one of India’s largest biorefinery projects with Assam Biorefinery Pvt. Ltd, which is nearing completion, and its leadership in a pre-feasibility report for a bamboo-based ethanol project for Numaligarh Refinery Ltd in Meghalaya.

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"EIL is spearheading the initiatives to set up Bio-ATF plants in collaboration with CSIR-IIP and has already developed a basic engineering and design package for MRPL. The company has undertaken preliminary studies on the development of 3G biofuel production technology and has been able to identify microalgae species for biofuel production studies," she added.

Besides, the company has delivered engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services to GAIL for the balance of plant (BoP), and related facilities, for a 10MW green hydrogen production facility in Uttar Pradesh's Vijaipur.

The company has also reported significant expansion of its global footprint and project portfolio over the past financial year. "The commissioning of the Dangote oil refinery project in Nigeria, a $20 billion venture, reflecting the company’s pivotal role in advancing the ‘local to global’ vision," the company said in a statement.

The company is also offering project management consultancy (PMC) for a 1.5 MMTPA refinery in Mongolia, funded by an Indian government line of credit, besides modernising Bahrain’s refining sector with a desalination plant design. It is also expanding its presence in Guyana through consultancy for the Integrated NGL Plant and a 300 MW CCGT power plant.

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