Saarc power grid to meet shortage Says India

India has called for building Saarc power grid so that excess power produced in one region of South Asia can be used to meet deficits elsewhere.

The call was made at the two-day fifth Saarc Power Ministers' meeting which concluded yesterday in New Delhi. India also said hydroelectric power generated in its North-Eastern region could be transmitted via Bangladesh to other South Asian countries.

At the meeting, the power ministers assured to get the Saarc Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation approved from their respective governments so that it could be signed during the forthcoming Saarc Summit scheduled to be held from November 26-27 in Nepal.

Addressing the energy ministers' meet, India's Minister of State (Independent Charge), Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy, Piyush Goyal said, "I dream of a seamless Saarc power grid within the next five years. Such a grid can transfer excess production of power from one region to meet the deficit elsewhere."

Goyal said, "Rivers can flow only in one direction, but power can flow in the direction of our choice.

"Hydroelectric power generated in North East India could be transported via Bangladesh, India and Pakistan to Afghanistan or offshore wind projects could be set up in Sri Lanka's coastal areas to supply power to Pakistan or Nepal. The possibilities are unlimited."

Goyal maintained this will not only strengthen the economic ties among the Saarc nations but also deepen the people to people relationship.

"Saarc is a robust market but constraints are primarily on the supply side as there are pockets where deficits persist," he said, adding that most countries of the region are battling with power deficits.

At the meeting, State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid, who is leading the Bangladesh delegation, announced that Dhaka will convene the Meeting of Energy Regulators/Bodies in Saarc countries by December 2014.

India proposed to host the Seminar on "Sharing Experiences on Energy Pricing Mechanism in the Saarc Region." It also proposed to host the Second Meeting of the Expert Group on Technology/Knowledge Sharing (including energy efficiency, coal, etc.) in 2015.

Giving details of intra-Saarc linkages established in the recent past, Indian Power Minister Goyal gave examples of the 1,450 MW power exchange between India and Bhutan, 500 MW between India and Bangladesh and 150 MW between India and Nepal.

Energy ministers and senior officials from the Saarc member countries took part in the two-day meet.

On the first day of the meeting, senior officials agreed on a framework agreement for energy cooperation which has been pending since 2010, the power ministry said in a statement.

Saarc was created in 1985 with its secretariat in Kathmandu. Regional cooperation in the energy sector began in January 2000 with the setting up of a Saarc Technical Committee on Energy.