To Connect Sri Lanka's Power Grid With India, $1.2 Billion Undersea Transmission Line From Chennai Gets Green Flag

India and Sri Lanka are collaborating on an estimated Rs 9,946 crore ($1.2 billion) undersea transmission line project.

This project aims to connect Sri Lanka's power grid with India's, enhancing energy security for Sri Lanka, as per a report by Deccan Herald.

The plan involves linking Sri Lanka's Anuradhapura town with Chennai, India, through an overland transmission line in India, followed by an undersea line emerging at Thiruketheeswaram in Mannar, Sri Lanka.

The agreement was discussed at the fifth meeting of the India-Sri Lanka joint working group (JWG) for cooperation in the power sector on 28 February, attended by Sri Lanka's Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy Sulakshana Jayawardena and the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha.

Additionally, India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement on 1 March for the development of a hybrid renewable energy system for the Delft, Analativu, and Nainativu islands in Sri Lanka's Jaffna peninsula.

This project, funded by the government of India, will include wind, solar, battery, and diesel power systems for the three islands, which are not connected to Sri Lanka's national grid.

While progress has been made, including the granting of an energy permit for a 50 MW solar power plant in Sampur, there is no formal agreement yet for the power grid interconnection project. Funding and legal frameworks still need to be finalised.

The energy sector is a priority area in the India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision document adopted during President Ranil Wickremesinghe's visit to India in July 2023.

Several initiatives, including power grid connectivity and a two-way oil pipeline, are under discussion between the two countries. India's development partnership portfolio with Sri Lanka stands at Rs 41,445 crore ($5 billion), with a significant portion in grants.