Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRCL) has issued a fresh tender for the development of a 6.25 MW offshore wind farm in the marine waters of Chidambaranar Port Authority in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. Published on November 2, 2026, the tender invites bids for the design, engineering, procurement, construction, installation, testing and commissioning of the project. The estimated contract value is ₹77.41 crore, and the deadline for bid submission is December 1, 2026, at 11:00 AM. The tender is listed on the Government of India’s eProcurement portal.
The contract goes beyond the supply and installation of a wind turbine. Its scope includes the associated civil and marine foundation works, wind turbine generator equipment, subsea cable installation and the related protection and commissioning systems. The tender also includes a two-year operation and maintenance period with a corresponding guarantee for the 6.25 MW turbine. These requirements make marine construction and subsea electrical infrastructure important elements of the project, alongside the turbine installation itself.
The financial conditions indicate the scale of the procurement. IPRCL has set the estimated tender value at ₹77.41 crore and the earnest money deposit at ₹1.5482 crore. The contract is structured on an engineering, procurement and construction basis, with the selected contractor responsible for delivering the project through commissioning. The latest tender listing shows that bids are scheduled to open on December 2, 2026.
The project is significant in the context of Tamil Nadu’s offshore wind resource. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) identifies nearly 35 GW of offshore wind potential along the Tamil Nadu coast, based on preliminary assessments of potential development zones. The ministry’s offshore wind strategy provides for different project-development models, including government-led procurement with viability gap funding for identified sites and developer-led development in other areas.
The proposed 6.25 MW installation should be viewed separately from the government’s larger offshore wind capacity programme. In June 2024, the Union Cabinet approved a ₹7,453 crore viability gap funding scheme for offshore wind projects. Of this, ₹6,853 crore was allocated to support 1 GW of offshore wind capacity, divided equally between Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, while ₹600 crore was earmarked for upgrading two ports to meet offshore wind logistics requirements. The IPRCL tender is a separate port-based EPC procurement and should not be counted as part of that 1 GW allocation without confirmation from the implementing agencies.
India’s offshore wind development requires capabilities that differ considerably from conventional onshore wind construction. Turbine foundations must be installed in a marine environment, subsea cables must connect the generating equipment to the relevant land-based electrical infrastructure, and installation schedules must account for sea conditions and specialised vessel operations. The MNRE’s offshore wind programme identifies port infrastructure, seabed studies, resource assessment and transmission planning as important requirements for developing the sector. The IPRCL project’s combination of marine foundation work, subsea cabling and turbine commissioning therefore makes it a relevant project to watch as India builds experience in offshore wind execution.
The fresh tender marks a further procurement step for the proposed installation at Thoothukudi. However, the invitation of bids does not mean that the project has been awarded or that construction has begun. The next milestones will be the bid evaluation, contractor selection and subsequent execution of the EPC contract.