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A power grid for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region will deepen the ties and help in economic development of the region, Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy, said here on Friday.
Goyal was addressing the inaugural session of the fifth meeting of SAARC Energy Ministers.
“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,” he said.
India’s power minister was also elected as chairperson at the meeting. Goyal said that economic sustainability of the region depends on energy security as 30 per cent of the demand is met through imports.
3-pronged strategy
“There should be a three-pronged strategy to address energy security. One is to harness conventional and renewable sources of energy, secondly build inter-connected transmission grids and finally forging effacious power trading agreements,” Goyal said.
The Minister highlighted the example of 1,450-MW exchange between India and Bhutan, 500 MW between India and Bangladesh and 150 MW between India and Nepal. “More interconnections with high capacity are being planned and implemented,” he said.
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