New Delhi: India and the UK are set to launch a project that aims to build a solar grid that will connect countries in different parts of the world. The Green Grids Initiative project, as the Associated Press reports, will be launched at the 26th United Nations Climate Conference on Tuesday at the ongoing COP26, Glasgow, Scotland.
What is Green Grid Initiative?
The Green Grid Initiative is a project that aims to create a global grid that will transfer the sun’s power from one place to another, the AP report quoted Ajay Mathur, director general of the International Solar Alliance, as saying.
The project is based on the idea that the Sun is always visible in some part of the world.
The Green Grid initiative is being initiated by the International Solar Alliance, which was launched by India and France at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference.
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India and UK are part of this initiative.
The new Green Grid initiative, to be launched at COP26 on Tuesday, will mark the merger of interconnection initiatives from India and the UK as part of their bilateral cooperation.
The demand for electricity in India is increasing rapidly. Such countries are highly dependent on fossil fuels, which when burned generate greenhouse gases leading to global warming.
The reason why some countries do not switch completely to green alternatives such as solar energy is that this renewable source of energy cannot be used at night.
Quoting Mathur, the AP report said that when it is dark in East Asia, it is day time in India, and a cable between India and East Asia would provide solar power to the latter region.
This project is unique as it is the first attempt to build a global network.
Mathur estimates that in the next three years solar power will become as cheap as power generation from fossil fuels. As a result, it is easier for new solar power plants and storage facilities to be built.
However, for the project to be successful, countries with different priorities will have to reach complex agreements.
Mathur said he wants the project to start with a “coalition of the interested”. This means that the two countries should mutually benefit from solar power transfer.
The framework of the rules and the way the interconnection works will be based on the decisions of the countries.
Mathur said the number of interested countries will continue to grow over time with decreasing costs and increasing certainty.
Also, investors need to be confident about the safety of the project, and ensure that electricity is generated at affordable prices, he said.
Potential challenges of the project
If the road between the two countries is impassable, it will be difficult to build a relationship. In such cases, long cables passing under the sea would be required and would result in cost escalation.
Mathur said the deadline is “quite aggressive”, yet, the first projects connecting the various regional grids will take a year to complete.
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