Wind turbines may see new quality rules

livemint.com:

New Delhi: India is looking to tighten wind turbines standards and the ministry of new and renewable energy is likely to announce a quality control order (QCO) soon, people in the know said. The standards will be aimed at meeting the requirements for various equipment used in wind turbines, ranging from gears to blades. The QCO route is increasingly being used by the government to take on China, which is known for dumping products in India.

This comes amid a widening trade deficit with China which accounts for nearly 40% of India’s total trade deficit. The government has planned QCOs for several products in sectors ranging from textiles to wind power. A QCO bars manufacturers, importers and distributors from storing or selling a product without a standard mark, except under licence from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

The government is also formulating an Indian Wind Turbine Certification Scheme (IWTCS). The QCO is likely to order mandatory certification under the proposed IWTCS, said one of the people mentioned above. The certification scheme, in the works since 2018, is aimed at creating consolidated standards incorporating global best standards along with relevant national standards, technical regulations and requirements issued by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the electricity regulator.

U.B. Reddy, a member of the national council of the Indian Wind Power Association (IWPA) said that a certification system would help create an Indian standard which would be in tandem with the global standard for certification, known by its acronym IECRE. “Currently, the industry needs IECRE certification and it is accepted for projects in the country.