The Gadag Wind Power project is a nearly 302MW wind energy power plant being developed in the Gadag District of Karnataka, India.
The project is being developed by Ayana Renewable Power Six, a special purpose vehicle of Ayana Renewable Power, which is backed by National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), British International Investment (BII) and Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF).
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Ayana Renewable Power Six participated in competitive bidding carried out by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), and won the bid for the wind project.
The final draft of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the project was published in November 2021.
According to the ESIA, the wind project would have an estimated design life of 25-30 years from the date of commissioning.
The State High Level Clearance Committee (SHLCC) meeting of the Government of Karnataka approved the project in March 2023.
The wind farm is being developed with a total investment of INR22bn ($265m).
Gadag Wind Power Plant Location and Site Details
The Gadag Wind Power Plant will be located on an undulating land covering 16 villages in the Gadag district in Karnataka. The project will be in Lakundi Village, approximately 20km from Gadag.
The land is primarily agricultural land. The site is accessible by the State Highway SH-06.
Key roads between the wind turbines and near available access road will be developed as part of the project.
The project will encompass a total area of 586 acres, of which 92 acres will be purchased; 378 acres are on lease for 30 years, and 116 acres are on Easement Rights basis.
The site was selected due to the availability of land, infrastructure, and atmospheric conditions.
Gadag Wind Power Plant Details
The Gadag Wind Power Plant will feature 84 wind turbine generators (WTGs). The SG 3.6-145 wind turbines have a rotor diameter of 145m with a swept area of 16,513 m².
The turbine is an extension of the SG 3.4-145, which is itself based on the original SG 3.4-132 turbine design.
Equipped with a doubly fed induction machine, the turbine is specifically designed for low and medium wind conditions.
According to the ESIA report, key ancillary infrastructure of the project will include an internal transmission line from WTGs to Pooling substation (PSS); an external transmission line from connecting pooling substation (PSS) to Grid Substation (GSS); and metering points.
Metering Points will be used for measuring production from each WTG.
The other associated infrastructure required for the project will include a scrap yard, batching plant, material storage yard and stores, and central monitoring station building and facilities.
Power Evacuation
The power generated will be evacuated via the external transmission line to 220/400kV Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) Koppal, Grid Substation (GSS) situated 25km from the plant.
The nearly 26km-long external transmission line will consist of 77 towers. The towers will be erected on private agricultural land.
Gadag Wind Project Development
The development activities are largely divided into four phases- Planning; Construction; Operation & Maintenance; and Decommissioning.
The planning phase extends from the selection of the site to surveys and securing approvals for the wind project.
During the construction phase, an accommodation for 500-550 workers will be built.
Gadag Wind project will have an operational life of around 25 years-30 years from the date of commissioning, with regular maintenance.
Subsequently, the decommissioning phase will begin. This will include dismantling the infrastructure and rehabilitation of the site.
Contractors Involved
The final ESIA report, published in November 2021, was prepared by ERM India.
In December 2021, Siemens Gamesa won the contract to supply 84 SG 3.6-145 wind turbines for the project.
