South Asia

USAID, through its South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP) program, organized a virtual capacity-building series titled “Enabling Technology Implementation for Interconnecting Grids” to address the increasing energy demands and bolster cross-border electricity trade (CBET) in the South Asian region. This series, held in June and July 2024, was aimed at Sri Lanka’s power sector stakeholders, offering them essential knowledge and insights to support CBET infrastructure development between Sri Lanka and India.

This initiative focuses on equipping Sri Lanka’s power sector stakeholders with the expertise needed to develop CBET infrastructure. The series fostered a collaborative and knowledge-sharing environment, paving the way for Sri Lanka’s future integration into the broader South Asian energy grid.

The first part of the series took place on June 24, 2024, with key speakers addressing various aspects of High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems and CBET development. USAID/India’s Regional Energy & Clean Energy Specialist, Monali Zeya Hazra, highlighted the series’ crucial role in promoting regional collaboration and raising awareness about advanced technologies for a sustainable energy future in South Asia.

During the first session, Dr. Puneet Tyagi, Chief General Manager of Engineering at Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, provided insights into HVDC systems, covering topics such as HVDC transmission system planning, different types of HVDC systems, and their benefits. He also shared experiences from India’s HVDC projects, focusing on investment returns, recovery time, and cost-sharing in CBET.

Shanthakumar M S, Vice President and Market Product Manager at Hitachi Energy, gave a comprehensive presentation on HVDC technology features, applications, and global case studies of successful HVDC interconnections. He detailed the planning, building, operating, and maintaining phases of HVDC projects, emphasizing integration requirements and long-term service models.

The second segment of the series took place on July 01, 2024, providing a unique perspective from the Grid Controller of India. Rahul Shukla, Chief Manager at NLDC, and Subhendu Mukherjee, Deputy General Manager and Head of Market Operations at NLDC, underscored the essential role of HVDC technological options in advancing CBET.

In this session, representatives from Siemens—Niket Jain, Rajeev Virdi, and Harsh Trivedi—shared insights into various HVDC technologies. They discussed critical aspects of planning, execution, and operation, presenting global success stories of HVDC systems in contexts such as underground, sea cable, and overhead interconnections. The presenters emphasized the benefits of HVDC systems and the preparedness required for utility companies to successfully implement these technologies.

The third and final part of the series took place on July 08, 2024, with a focus on the implementation of HVDC submarine cables. Experts from Sumitomo Electric, GE Vernova, and the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh led the sessions, providing detailed insights into various aspects of HVDC systems.

Kan Kinoshita from Sumitomo Electric discussed planning, installation, maintenance, fault diagnostics, and testing, sharing key learnings. Purushottam Kalky from GE Vernova provided insights into technological options, planning, execution, operations, and global success case studies. Md. Monzurul Islam from the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh detailed the Bangladesh-India HVDC interconnection, including project planning, implementation, and operational benefits. Dr. H.M. Wijekoon Banda from CEB also contributed to the discussions.

Overall, the series successfully engaged 44 participants across all three sessions, equipping them with critical knowledge in HVDC technology and CBET infrastructure development. By providing in-depth technical training and practical case studies, this initiative has strengthened the capacity of Sri Lanka’s power sector stakeholders to implement advanced HVDC systems and support sustainable cross-border electricity trade within the South Asian region.