India Holds Potential of 8000 MW Tidal Energy, Study Says

The Minister of New and Renewable Energy, DR. FAROOQ ABDULLAH informed Lok Sabha that in order to exploit tidal power, Government of Gujarat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2011 for establishing a 250 MW tidal power project in Gulf of Kutch with Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd. (GPCL), Vadodara, M/s Atlantis Resource Corporation, United Kingdom and Perfect Mining Energy Solutions, Singapore.

A Special Purpose Vehicle has been incorporated in May, 2011 and GPCL has taken up a 50 MW tidal power project at Mandavi in district Kutch in first phase. There is no other tidal power project under consideration.

In eighties, a study was undertaken by Central Electricity Authority, New Delhi for the assessment of tidal energy potential in the country. According to the study, there is an estimated potential of about 8000 MW tidal energy in the country. This includes about 7000 MW in the Gulf of Cambay, 1200 MW in the Gulf of Kutch in the State of Gujarat and about 100 MW in the Gangetic Delta in the Sunderbans region in the State of West Bengal.

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Press release, December 10, 2012