Bigger Isn’t Always Faster: Suzlon CEO Flags Land Issues With 5-MW Turbines

Indian wind energy company Suzlon Energy is moving closer to launching its 5-MW wind turbine, one of the largest among the domestic wind turbine makers in India. This has come after the company already has a strong order book for  its popular 3.15 MW wind turbines and even partially expanding its capacity. 

During the latest earnings call for Q3, JP Chalasani, the CEO of Suzlon Energy briefed his investors about the new plans of the firm to invest in bigger wind turbines to catch the bus. This comes at a time when several Chinese companies have brought more than 5 MW of wind turbines on on-shore projects and the competion in India for higher wind turbines getting stiffer.

Prototype Stage 

Chalasani said the company is not far from introducing the higher-capacity turbine, although the exact timing will depend on market readiness. “Let me define how far. That is actually a very subjective question. If you ask me, we are very near,” Chalasani said, adding that the company’s 5-MW turbine has now entered the prototype stage and will be introduced at an appropriate time.

Despite the upcoming platform, Suzlon said demand for its existing turbines remains strong. According to Chalasani, the company’s 3.15-MW turbine continues to see significant traction, while Suzlon has also begun selling a 3.3-MW variant with a revised power curve designed to deliver a lower cost per kilowatt-hour compared with the earlier model.

The CEO noted that feedback from developers deploying larger turbines has highlighted a practical challenge related to land acquisition.

Challenges On Ground For 5 MW Turbines

Initially, the industry believed that higher-capacity turbines would require fewer turbine locations or “footprints,” potentially simplifying project execution. However, Chalasani said the reality has been more complex.

He said that a 5-MW turbine requires a larger land area, often involving multiple landowners for a single installation. This has made negotiations more difficult, as developers must secure agreements from several farmers for one turbine location.

“Asking multiple farmers to agree for one footprint is creating issues,” he said, adding that some developers are reconsidering whether moving immediately to larger turbines is the most effective strategy.

Faster Exectution Possible With Fewer Turbines?

According to Chalasani, fewer turbine footprints do not necessarily translate into faster project execution, particularly in markets where land acquisition remains fragmented.

Even so, Suzlon confirmed it remains committed to entering the 5-MW segment. The company said the turbine will be launched at the right time and that its development will not affect the company’s order inflow or execution pipeline.

India’s wind sector has been gradually shifting toward larger, more efficient turbine platforms as developers seek to improve generation efficiency and project economics. However, on-ground constraints such as land aggregation, permitting, and infrastructure continue to influence technology adoption timelines. Developers on the other side, earlier told Saur Energy that large wind turbines are not suited for all gepographical conditions on selected regions based on wind speeds. 

Who Are In The Race? 

While most of the highest power wind turbine makers are based in China like Mingyang and others. But even in the Indian domestic industry, MNRE's ALMM list for wind turbine makers enlist severl manufacturers which have listed high power wind turbines.

For example-Adani New Industries Limited has enlisted 5.2 MW wind turbines, Envision (5 MW), Senvion (4.2 MW), Sany (4MW), WEG Industries (4.2 MW). The highest among those is Venwind Reflect with an enlisted wind turbine of 5.3 MW.