A Parliamentary panel has asked the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to set up a pilot tidal power project in the country, preferably at a cost-effective location like the Gulf of Kutch.
There are three main types of ocean energy -- wave, tidal and ocean-thermal. The estimated potential of tidal and wave power in India is 12,455 MW and 41,300 MW, respectively, while potential for ocean-thermal has not been estimated till date.
The Ministry has submitted that the estimated potential of tidal and wave power is purely theoretical and does not necessarily constitute practically exploitable potential.
The Ministry should get the potential of tidal, wave and ocean-thermal power reassessed in order to explore the practically exploitable potential.
Further, the committee noted that two tidal power projects of 3.75 MW and 50 MW installed capacities were initiated in 2007 and 2011 in the states of West Bengal and Gujarat.
However, both these projects were dropped because of exorbitant cost.
In the case of 3.75 MW Durgaduani Tidal Power Project in West Bengal, the project cost was estimated at Rs 238 crore i.e Rs 63.50 crore per MW and in the case of 50 MW Tidal Power Project at the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat, the projected cost was Rs 750 crore or Rs 15 crore per MW, as per the panel's report.
The Ministry has submitted to the panel that the normative cost of installation of one MW solar, wind, biomass, hydro and thermal power plant is Rs 3.5 crore, Rs 5.5 crore, Rs six crore, Rs 10-15 crore and Rs five crore, respectively.
