29 July 2023 12:00 am Views - 108
By Kelum Bandara
In a step closer to Indo-Lanka national grid connection, the technical report on the project will be completed by September, this year, Daily Mirror learns.
A team of officials from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) visited India earlier and held talks with Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) on the technical aspects of the project to connect the two electricity grids. During the visit of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to New Delhi recently, a MoU was concluded on cooperation in developing renewable energy and to establish a high-capacity power grid interconnection between India and Sri Lanka to enable bidirectional electricity trade between Sri Lanka and other regional countries, including the BBIN countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal).
Sri Lanka targets the achievement of 70 per cent of its electricity requirement from renewables by 2030.
In the event of a unified grid, a surplus power in one place can be traded with another with shortage at any time. This allows for competition, eventually bringing down the cost. India’s Adani group has already ventured into investments in the energy sector of Sri Lanka. The company has agreed to complete its project in the north of Sri Lanka by 2025. Currently, countries such as Bhutan are trading electricity with India.