NEW DELHI : India is contemplating linking its energy grid to these of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates via undersea cables, with India’s energy ministry circulating Cupboard notes for inter-ministerial session to provoke the method to increase entry to dependable energy and improve the nation’s power safety.
Additional, India can also be in talks with Singapore to hyperlink town state with its energy grid by way of an undersea cable hyperlink, Raj Kumar Singh, Union minister for energy and new and renewable power, stated in an interview.
As soon as accepted by the Union cupboard, bilateral agreements shall be signed with Saudi Arabia and the UAE for the mega tasks, which shall be bid out after detailed mission experiences are created, Singh stated, including that the international locations will assess the viability of every mission earlier than continuing.
“The India-UAE settlement is within the remaining phases. So, the cupboard be aware has been circulated for the interconnection settlement. Then the detailed mission report (DPR) shall be ready, and later, the mission shall be bid out. Then, there can be an interconnection with Saudi Arabia. That can also be into consideration, and the cupboard be aware is being circulated. Talks have additionally began with Singapore for direct interconnectivity between the 2 international locations,” Singh stated.
By sharing energy sources throughout totally different areas, international locations can cut back the necessity for pricey renewable power storage options and enhance the reliability of their energy grids. India’s pursuit of grid interconnectivity might additionally show important to its long-term financial and power safety objectives.
Queries despatched to the embassies of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Singapore remained unanswered until press time.
India is pursuing the One Solar One World One Grid (OSOWOG) plan, which goals to attach international locations via a world energy grid as a counter to China’s Belt and Highway Initiative.
The draft framework for the worldwide grid is prepared. The primary section offers with the Center East, South Asia, South East Asia (MESASEA) interconnection for sharing inexperienced power sources corresponding to photo voltaic for assembly electrical energy wants.
The second section entails linking the MESASEA grid with African energy swimming pools, and the third section goals for world interconnection.
“The OSOWOG initiative was conceived to make sure energy provide from a rustic having a surplus of energy produced via renewable sources to international locations with a deficit in provide throughout a given level. It’s a crucial initiative as it could assist international locations to export clear power past their native necessities,” stated A.Okay. Saxena, senior director for electrical energy and fuels at The Power and Sources Institute (TERI).
On 25 January, Mint reported India and the UAE introduced plans to conduct a feasibility examine for linking their energy grids by way of undersea cables as a part of the OSOWOG initiative.
A activity drive arrange by the Indian energy ministry has examined the feasibility of interconnecting the regional grids of Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Center East, Africa, and Europe for renewable power sharing.
India is already pursuing bilateral interconnectivity tasks with Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Myanmar.
In response to a press release launched by the ministry in December, an Indian technical crew visited the Maldives in 2022 to check the technical specs of interconnection between India and Maldives via Lakshadweep. Additional, talks for overhead connectivity of the nationwide energy grids of India and Sri Lanka are additionally underway.
The constitution for the OSOWOG has been finalized, and a steering committee is being arrange, the ministry stated.
TERI’s Saxena stated India would assess a number of energy transmission corridors and choose probably the most possible routes for the worldwide grid connectivity mission.
This isn’t the primary time undersea interconnectivity tasks have been proposed, with the Australia-Asia PowerLink mission being a outstanding instance. The mission, which goals to attach Australia and Singapore at an estimated price of $21 billion, has confronted obstacles and is but to take off.
Up to date: 25 Apr 2023, 12:21 AM IST