When Buckminster Fuller (an American architect, system theorist, inventor, philosopher and futurist, 1895-1983) was asked by a 12 year old boy, “how would you suggest solving international problems without violence?” he answered, “I always try to solve problems by some artefact, some tool or invention that makes what people are doing obsolete, so that it makes this particular kind of problem no longer relevant. My answer would be to develop a world energy grid, an electric grid where everybody is on the same grid. All of a sudden there would be no problems any more, no international troubles. Our new economic basis wouldn’t be gold or dollars; it would be kilowatt hours.”
During the COP 26 summit, held in Glasgow in 2021, the prime ministers of India and the UK launched the ‘Green grids initiative-One sun one world one grid’ (GGI-OSOWOG) to overcome the issues pertaining to intermittent renewable energy. The basic concept of this initiative is to harness renewable energy 24 hours a day (as the sun is always shining in some part of the earth) and evacuate it to some other part of the globe, not facing the sun. This concept was in fact announced by India back in October 2018 during the first assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). More than 80 countries have agreed to this vision of having an international grid. The initiative would be overseen by the ISA with technical assistance from the World Bank. In the first phase, the Indian grid would be connected to the grids in South Asia, Middle East and South East Asia. In the second phase, connection would be extended to Africa and in the final phase, the grids of the rest of the world would be connected.
According to experts, in one hour, enough solar energy reaches the earth to meet humanity’s energy needs for one year. This will help in reducing the dependence on coal and will go a long way in meeting the Paris Agreement target of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees centigrade by 2100 when compared to pre-industrial levels. According to estimates by CEEW India would need about 5600 GW of solar capacity to reach net-zero by 2070 i.e., over eleven times the capacity India has pledged by 2030. This will require substantial battery storage capacity which is currently expensive, and hence OSOWOG is a possible alternative.
Such transnational transmission lines are already in existence, for example, the Viking link which envisages a 760 kms. long undersea transmission link between UK and Denmark estimated to cost about $ 2.2 billion which will become functional by 2023. It has been estimated that about 2600 GW of inter-connection capacity is possible by 2050, delivering power savings of Euro 226 billion per year. We, in any case, have the example of the European Union grid which connects about 24 countries.
It is pertinent to state upfront that technically inter connecting grids is not a problem. While grids across countries function at different voltage levels and different frequencies, it is possible to connect these using transformers and high voltage direct connections (HVDCs). In fact, HVDCs are known to become more economical when evacuating power across distances in excess of 600 kms., creating an ideal situation for cross border transmission.
While no one can doubt the benefits of OSOWOG, when it comes to implementation, there are several pitfalls. First, any proposal of a transmission link across nations has to be weighed against possible alternatives which may be cheaper. To give an example, it may be cheaper for a country A to generate wind power domestically than to import solar power from country B. Second, any transnational grid has additional issues to consider, for example, geopolitics of the area. In an ever-changing world, one can never be sure if the transmission lines in a different country will be safe and that there would be no disruptions. In case there are disruptions, enormous amounts of money invested in transmission assets will go down the drain. Third, in case transmission lines are built across nations, there is always the added question of who will bear the cost? The usual concept is user pays. However, in the case of transmission lines linking India with its neighbours, the cost of lines till its respective borders is borne by each country. Fourth, by agreeing to the concept of OSOWOG, transmission capacity will have to be enhanced because one would be using the lines not only for one’s own use but also for evacuating power to another country. Fifth, under OSOWOG, developers would have to deal with different governments and different market forces which is going to be a nightmare. Besides, regulations would also vary across countries and adhering to the regulations of each country will be a daunting task. These are only a few problems one may encounter and the list is not exhaustive.
At present, India is considering having a transmission link with Myanmar and Sri Lanka. In case of the latter, the cost of lines would be prohibitive owing to undersea cabling. There is, however, some talk of extending transmission lines through the shallow portions of the sea using transmission towers. In addition, the country has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Maldives under the aegis of GGI-OSOWOG.
In light of India’s upcoming G20 presidency and keeping in mind the country’s commitment to further this agenda, the concept of OSOWOG in the context of G20 countries could perhaps be explored as one of the priority areas. The easiest route would to connect countries which won’t involve undersea cabling which is a very expensive proposition. Consider the case of India. The nearest G20 country is China though the geopolitics is not conducive at present. Perhaps, at some future date, this could be considered. One can also think of connecting Russia with Europe when conditions are more favourable. Yet another possibility is connecting Brazil with Argentina.
While we should be cognizant of the problems one may encounter, it has to be borne in mind that OSOWOG is something revolutionary and will not happen in the next decade or two. We are looking at something like the next fifty years which may be required for this to germinate and become a reality. We can draw lessons from the telecom sector where it is possible today to speak to anybody in any part of the globe, due to development of technology, laying of undersea cables etc. The development of the telecom sector also did not happen overnight, it took a couple of decades to materialise in the shape and form as it exists today. Similarly, though the concept of a single international grid may seem impossible today, it could well become a reality before the turn of this century.
(Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of ICRIER)
