India, Saudi Arabia mull high-voltage connect at the bottom of Arabian Sea
India and Saudi Arabia are working on a joint project which will highlight the power and depth of ties between the two countries. On a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
told Arab News, "We are now working on feasibility studies for electricity grid interconnectivity between India and Saudi Arabia and the wider region."
The two countries will connect their grids with undersea cables passing through the Arabian Sea. Undersea cables allow power grids in different locations to be interconnected, enabling the sharing of electricity resources and balancing supply and demand.
In 2023, both the countries signed an MoU to establish a general framework for cooperation in the field of electrical interconnection; exchange of electricity during peak times and emergencies; co-development of projects; co-production of green/clean hydrogen and renewable energy; and also establishing secure, reliable and resilient supply chains of materials used in green/clean hydrogen and the renewable energy sector.
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Why the electricity grid connection is important
The project has the potential to change India's status from a net buyer of Saudi oil and cooking gas (LPG) to an energy exporter with green power and hydrogen exports. Saudi Arabia is India's third-largest source for oil and the largest for LPG.
It will mark the first offshore link in pm Modi's 'One Sun, One World, One Grid' (OSOWOG) vision of a global grid for primarily green power.
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Proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 during the first Assembly of the
International Solar Alliance
(ISA), OSOWOG envisions a globally interconnected grid aimed at transferring renewable energy across countries to achieve energy sustainability.
The cross-border grid expansion aims to integrate renewable resources such as solar, wind, and hydro, which vary by region. By sharing these resources across interconnected grids, nations can better manage supply and demand peaks, improving grid stability and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. India currently exchanges about 4,100 MW of electricity with neighboring countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
OSOWOG is based on the principle that "the sun never sets", allowing for continuous renewable energy generation across continents. The integration of electricity grids across borders will reduce investment costs, as interconnected systems can share backup resources, lowering the total reserve requirements. India is also in talks with the UAE and Oman as well as Singapore and Thailand for grid connectivity.
'The advantage will be that renewable energy will be available round the clock because they are in different time zones, so the sun always shines in different time zones,' then power minister RK Singh had told Arab News in an interview in 2023.
'People in different time zones will be able to say that 'OK, I want renewable energy from Saudi Arabia between this time and this time, or I want renewable energy from India between this time and this time.' The prices will be quoted on the exchange people will be able to buy. That is a different world,' he said.
How the undersea grid connection will work
Undersea electric grid connections, also known as submarine power cables, are specialized cables used to transmit electricity across bodies of water. These are designed to carry high-voltage alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power under the water. High-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables are often used for longer distances where AC transmission becomes less efficient. Undersea cable installation is a complex and expensive process that requires specialized ships and personnel.
The interconnect is the AN ambitious and technically challenging proposition with far-reaching consequence since it will tie both the economies into knot. There are 485 undersea cables in operation worldwide, the longest being the 764-km Viking link between Britain and Denmark.
There are 485
undersea power cables
in operation worldwide, the longest being the Viking link between UK and Denmark.
State-run Power Grid is planning the undersea interconnection worth up to Rs 40,000 crore with countries in the Middle East, a top official had told PTI last year. The company has a 'pulling station' near the Arabian Sea in Gujarat's Bhuj, which will be connected with a similar station on the shores of the Middle East country as well, he explained. A high voltage direct current cable will go from the seabed with a capacity of up to 2,500 MW, he said, adding that it will cost Rs 35,000-40,000 crore and will take up to six years to complete.
Electricity grid connection through undersea cables is a decades-old idea. In 2008, India had proposed a 500 megawatt undersea power link with Sri Lanka across the Gulf of Mannar. PowerGrid had then pegged its cost at Rs 2,292 crore and said it could be completed in 42 months. But the proposal was shelved after Sri Lanka developed cold feet. India is still keen to revive that project.
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