New Delhi, India–India is looking to connect its power grid with Saudi Arabia and the UAE by way of undersea cables, according to Indian media, citing Union Minister for Power and Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh.
The media reports said that India will sign bilateral agreements with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, once the cabinet ratifies the decision.
“The India-UAE agreement is in its final stages,” said the minister.
India and the UAE announced a plan in January to conduct a feasibility study for linking their power grids via undersea cables as part of the One Sun, One World, One Grid initiative.
The minister was quoted as saying that an interconnection power grid with Saudi Arabia is currently under review.
In March, the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority awarded Japan’s Hitachi Energy a contract to upgrade the Al-Fadhili high-voltage direct current converter station in Saudi Arabia.
After the upgrade, the power station is expected to exchange up to 1,800 MW between the six Gulf states.
GCCIA also awarded five contracts worth $220 million for the construction of infrastructure linking the region’s electricity grid with Iraq.
The Saudi Electricity Co. is also considering the development and construction of a power transmission link between the kingdom and Iraq.
Middle East Economic Digest reported that the SEC has undertaken preliminary studies to carry out the project. The project is expected to extend between Arar in northern Saudi Arabia and Yousifiyah, a township in Iraq’s Baghdad governorate.