EIL promotes green energy plans including offshore wind and biofuels

New Delhi: Engineers India Ltd (EIL), a public sector undertaking, is exploring renewable energy options and has initiated negotiations with green energy companies to design and develop offshore wind infrastructure in India.

EIL Chairwoman and Managing Director Vartika Shukla on Wednesday said the company has revived its offshore arm and expects to complete several projects in the next one year.

“We have reached out to our customers… about building offshore wind. We have revived our offshore division. We were very active in offshore a few years ago… we are fully capable of designing the structural pattern, deck, platforms and casings. We offer these capabilities to our customers.”

EIL has played a key role in developing offshore oil and gas projects, including Mumbai High and other fields on the west and east coasts of India. 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, in addition to overall project management.

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Offshore wind projects are installed in large bodies of water, such as seas and oceans. Key components, including seabed installation and network connectivity, make these projects very expensive.

The Ministry of Renewable and New Energy plans to promote these projects to achieve the ambitious target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based generating capacity by 2030.

In June, the Council of Ministers approved the Feasibility Gap Financing (VGF) programme for offshore wind energy projects, with a total outlay of ₹7,453 crore. In this ₹6,853 crore for installation and commissioning of 1 GW of offshore wind projects — 500 MW each off the coast of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu — and ₹600 crore for modernisation of two ports to meet the logistical requirements of these projects.

Renewable growth

Offshore wind power is a renewable energy source that offers a number of 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 lead role in preparing the feasibility report for a bamboo-based ethanol project for Numaligarh Refinery Ltd in Meghalaya.

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“EIL is spearheading 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 conducted preliminary studies for the development of 3G biofuel production technology and has been able to identify microalgae species for biofuel production research,” she added.

Additionally, the company has provided Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) services to GAIL for the remaining part of the plant (BoP) and associated facilities for a 10 MW green hydrogen plant at Vijaipur, Uttar Pradesh.

The company also announced a significant expansion of its global footprint and project portfolio over the past fiscal year. “The launch of the Dangote Oil Refinery Project in Nigeria, a $20 billion undertaking that reflects the company’s key role in driving the ‘local to global’ vision,” the company said in a statement.

The company is also providing Project Management Consultancy (PMC) for a 1.5 MMTPA refinery in Mongolia, financed by a credit line from the Government of India, in addition to modernizing Bahrain’s refining sector with a desalination plant project. It is also expanding its presence in Guyana by advising on an Integrated NGL Plant and a 300 MW CCGT plant.

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