SL and India opt for submarine cable to link power grids, abandoning overhead transmission lines
Colombo (LNW): In a strategic move, Sri Lanka and India have reached an agreement to establish a submarine cable for connecting their power grids, veering away from the conventional approach of installing overhead transmission lines, according to a high-ranking official.
The official disclosed that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd have concluded the technical report, slated to be submitted to the joint working group led by the secretaries of the line ministries in both countries.
This joint working group will be responsible for formulating the implementation modalities for the grid connectivity project.
Preferring to remain anonymous, the official highlighted that the CEB engaged in a virtual discussion with Indian authorities earlier in the week, culminating in the completion of the technical report.
The consensus was in favor of an undersea cable as opposed to overhead transmission lines.
The official justified this decision by pointing out that overhead transmission lines would incur additional maintenance costs in the future.
Additionally, the construction of pylons mid-sea poses logistical challenges.
While the technical aspects have been resolved, the specifics of the business model for project execution are yet to be finalised.
