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.
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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.