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MNRE Issues Draft Guidelines for Prototype Wind Turbine Installation and Certification

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has released draft revised guidelines to regulate the installation of prototype wind turbine models in India. Aimed at enhancing the certification process and ensuring safety, the guidelines focus on streamlined testing and grid synchronisation of new turbine technologies.

Key Provisions of the Draft Guidelines

According to the draft, prototype installations will be strictly limited to type testing purposes and must adhere to international certification standards, such as IECRE OD 501 and IS/IEC 61400-22:2010. The installations are intended to validate new wind turbine designs before they are commercially deployed in India.

Validity and Timeline

• Prototype certificates will be valid for up to three years.
• Turbines must be commissioned and synchronized with the grid within 18 months of receiving a recommendation letter from the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE).

Testing and Compliance

• Type testing must be conducted only by internationally accredited certification bodies.
• A prototype certificate must be submitted to NIWE upon completion.

Maintenance Requirements

• Annual operation and maintenance reports must be provided by the certifying body.
• Failure to comply may lead to disconnection from the power grid.

Land Allocation & Installation Restrictions

• MNRE recommends land allocation on a ‘footprint basis’ to optimize land use.
• Prototype turbines must use only new, unused components, although modifications to already installed prototypes are allowed.
• Once installed, the turbine models cannot be sold or transferred until they are listed in the Revised List of Models and Manufacturers (RLMM).

The guidelines also mention that rather than specifying total MW capacity for prototype installations, it is preferable to limit by the number of units, given the rising availability of high-capacity turbines (up to 5.2 MW) in the market.

The draft guidelines are open for stakeholder feedback and are expected to bring greater transparency and standardization to India’s wind energy certification ecosystem, supporting the sector’s technological advancement and grid integration.