SAARC energy ring to be formed
New Delhi, March 06: SAARC countries will hold discussion on Wednesday to set up an energy ring connecting India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan in their efforts to minimise the acute power shortage in the region.
A meeting of the SAARC energy ministers to be held in New Delhi from March 7 will discuss the project and start works to improve the scenario for energy trading. This ring would consist of transnational lines for trade in electricity, gas and oil.
On Monday, Indian power minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, "Facilitating and promoting trade in energy in South Asia has been identified as one of the key areas for co-operation. In view of the potential for regional co-operation, an energy ring has been conceptualised in SAARC."
India has grid interconnections with Nepal and Bhutan and technical studies were being conducted for similar transmission links with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
A SAARC level committee has prepared a survey report on availability of surplus power and electricity demand as well as load forecast for the next 10-15 years. On the basis of the report, the SAARC countries will discuss the viability of energy trade in the region. The regional infrastructure on interconnecting countries could be developed with the inclusion of SAARC and BIMSTEC – Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Co-operation.
In 1998, South Asian Regional Initiatives (SARI), a forum of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India, had proposed creation of an 80,000 MW power reserve to ensure a dependable supply of electricity to member-nations. But it failed to realise as India wanted a bilateral agreement with countries.
Now, Bhutan supplies power to Indian from the Rs 4,124-crore Tala project. Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir are the direct beneficiaries of the project. Bhutan News Service