The proposed project will link Sri Lanka’s north central town of Anuradhapura with Chennai through an overland transmission line in India of 130 km, followed by an undersea line emerging (via submarine cable) at Thiruketheeswaram in Mannar, Sri Lanka.
Mar 9, 2024
India and Sri Lanka are currently working on an estimated INR 9,946 crore (USD 1.2 billion) undersea transmission line project, which will connect the power grid of two countries, bolstering energy security for Sri Lanka.
The proposal involves linking Sri Lanka’s north central town of Anuradhapura town with Chennai through an overland transmission line in India of 130 km, followed by an undersea line emerging (via submarine cable) at Thiruketheeswaram in Mannar, Sri Lanka.
The plan was discussed at the fifth meeting of the India-Sri Lanka joint working group (JWG) for cooperation in the power sector in February, attended by Sri Lanka’s Secretary to the Ministry of Power & Energy Sulakshana Jayawardena and the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha.
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In a related development, India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement on March 1 for the development of a hybrid renewable energy system for the Delft, Analativu and Nainativu islands of the northern Jaffna peninsula.
To be carried out under grant assistance from the Government of India, the project will comprise 530 kw of wind power, 1,700 kw of solar power, 2,400 kWh of battery power and a 2,500 kw diesel power system for the three islands, which are not connected to Sri Lanka’s national grid.
The plan to link Sri Lanka with the Indian power grid was proposed more than a decade ago, but it has made little progress till now. In 2023, Sri Lanka said it hoped to get the transmission line in place within two to three years so that renewable power produced on the islands could be sold to India.
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 finalized.
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The energy sector is a priority area in the India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision document adopted during Sri Lankan 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 INR 41,445 crore (USD 5 billion), with a significant portion in grants.
