COP26: India launches One Sun, One World, One Grid project
Glasgow: India on Tuesday launched One Sun, One World, One Grid' (OSOWOG) at the global climate conference COP26 with an aim to harness solar energy wherever the sun is shining, ensuring that generated electricity flows to areas that need it most.
The International Solar Alliance (ISA), India Presidency of the ISA, and the UK COP Presidency unveiled the plans for the first international network of global interconnected solar power grids, known as the Green Grids Initiative One Sun One World One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG), at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
The project is being spearheaded by the governments of India and the UK in partnership with the ISA and the World Bank Group and will bring together a global coalition of national governments, international financial and technical organisations, legislators, power system operators and knowledge leaders to accelerate the construction of the new infrastructure needed for a world powered by clean energy.
In doing so, the project aims to reduce reliance on non-renewable energy such as coal by enabling them to purchase affordable solar power from other countries, said the ISA in an official statement.
The announcement was accompanied by the One Sun declaration, which has been endorsed by 83 ISA member countries. India is a member of the GGI-OSOWOG steering committee along with four other countries USA, UK, Australia and France.
"Realising the vision of One Sun One World One Grid through interconnected green grids can be transformational, enabling all of us to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement to prevent dangerous climate change, to accelerate the clean energy transition, and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. These efforts can stimulate green investments and create millions of good jobs. By sharing the sun's energy, we can help to build a more peaceful and prosperous world, it stated.
The declaration by the member countries said that to help deliver the vision of One Sun One World One Grid, they have resolved to combine our efforts and create a more interconnected global grid.
"Our next step is to develop an action agenda for global cooperation on this agenda. Through working groups of interested governments, regulators, financiers, institutions, companies, legislators and researchers, we will seek to provide a common global framework for efforts on investing in solar, wind, storage and other renewable energy generation in locations endowed with renewable resources for supporting a global grid.
"Building long-distance cross-border transmission lines to connect renewable energy generators and demand centres across continents, underpinned by effective and mutually beneficial cross-border power trading arrangements. Developing and deploying cutting edge techniques and technologies to modernise power systems and support green grids which can integrate billions of rooftop solar panels, wind turbines and storage systems, it said.
The countries also declared that they will seek to provide framework on supporting the global transition to zero emission vehicles through incorporating the role of electric vehicles to help improve grid flexibility, attracting investment into solar mini-grids and off-grid systems to help vulnerable communities gain access to clean, affordable, and reliable energy without grid-access in their own areas, enhancing socio-economic development and a resilient power supply for all.
It will also focus on developing innovative financial instruments, market structures, and facilitate financial and technical assistance to attract low-cost capital, including climate finance, for global solar grid infrastructure, the declaration said.
The International Solar Alliance (ISA), was launched at COP21 in Paris and has recently expanded its membership scope to include all UN member states. There are 90 signatories and 193 prospective members.
ISA aims to help mobilize USD 1 trillion of funding by 2030 to assist developing countries in expanding their solar power grids, both in transmission and generation, to meet their energy needs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the GGI-OSOWOG initiative at the event Accelerating Clean Technology Innovation and Deployment', at the ongoing international climate conference COP 26 at Glasgow.
Speaking at the event, he said, The One Sun One World One Grid and Green Grids Initiative is an idea whose time has come. If the world has to move to a clean and green future, these interconnected transnational grids are going to be critical solutions. I congratulate the International Solar Alliance and the UK COP Presidency for bringing it nearer to implementation.
The event also featured an address by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson who said that the UK is working hand-in-hand with India to transform the future of the power sector and ensure clean and reliable electricity is accessible everywhere by the end of this decade.
"It's fantastic that over 80 countries have backed our newly launched Green Grids Initiative, whose collaboration will not only see greater growth, jobs and investment in our global green future, but also make sure no one is left without access to energy, he said.
Following the announcement, ISA Director General Ajay Mathur said that this network has the potential to be a modern engineering marvel, and a catalyst for greatly expanding renewable electricity generation, and effectively mitigating climate change in the next decade.
