COP26: India and UK to launch 140 country renewable grid project

November 1, 2021
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The project will be split into three phases, with the first looking to connect Asian countries. Image: The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure.

India and the UK will launch a transnational and transcontinental grid project, the Green Grids Initiative-One Sun One World One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG or OSOWOG), at COP26 tomorrow.

The project aims to connect the grids of 140 countries, harness the power of the sun all day long and exploit geographical differences in radiance throughout the day to ensure a stable electricity supply across participating countries.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The project will be split into three phases. The first phase will look to connect Asian grid systems, with the Indian grid connected to those in the Middle East, South Asia and South-East Asia regions. This phase aims to start with a “coalition of the willing” that will link countries who can gain mutual benefits from grid integration.

The second phase would then expand connection to renewable resources in Africa. The third and final stage concerns global connectivity, with the aim of creating a “single power grid of renewable energy”.   

“This is an initiative which is absolutely essential for energy transition, and energy transition is something which is absolutely essential for the health of the world,” said India’s minister of renewable energy, RK Singh.

“Through the GGI-OSOWOG initiative, and in close partnership with our friends and colleagues in India, we will look to strengthen international collaboration well beyond COP26,” said Kwasi Kwarteng, the UK’s secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy.

Nicholas Dunlop, secretary general of the Climate Parliament, called it a “brilliant initiative” that represents “exactly the kind of bold thinking that we need if we’re going to accelerate the transition”, adding that the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Climate Parliament were working together to support the plans.

The India-led ISA, made up of 98 solar rich countries, is helping to drive the initiative forward and has commissioned studies to assess the logistics of setting up such a system.

“The implementing mechanism will have to be more carefully worked out. It will involve multiple ministries, authorities within our country, cooperation and careful coordination with other countries,” tweeted the ISA.

PV Tech will be covering the project over the next fortnight as more details emerge and has devoted one section of our upcoming PV Tech Power publication to the grid system in 2030.

Read Next

October 16, 2025
Jakson Green and Blueleaf Energy have reached financial close for the 840MWp Bikaner solar projects in Rajasthan, western India. 
October 15, 2025
Wood Mackenzie has warned of a supply bottleneck as the renewable energy shift drives a spike in global copper demand over the next decade.
October 15, 2025
Ciel & Terre has launched a new floating PV structure designed to address the increasingly large scale of floating solar projects.
October 15, 2025
Indian module manufacturer Saatvik Green Energy, through its subsidiary Saatvik Solar Industries, has secured solar PV module orders worth INR6.89 billion (US$78 million).
October 14, 2025
India has installed 4.9GW of residential rooftop solar capacity in the first half of 2025, according to a report by IEEFA and JMK Research.
October 10, 2025
NTPC Renewable Energy Limited has signed an MoU with the Government of Gujarat to develop 15GW renewable energy projects in Gujarat.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Lisbon, Portugal