India and Sri Lanka have resumed talks over grid connections, a move that could help New Delhi’s goal of reducing China’s influence on the island nation, now facing a major economic crisis. the power outages brought about by this crisis can be revealed by negotiations, which is the first attempt on a multi-year project that both sides have previously explored.
India has extended billions of dollars in aid to its southern neighbor to fight the crisis, which has resulted in a sharp drop in foreign exchange that has halted the purchase of essential commodities such as petrol, which has disrupted power supplies. ” Protests and political upheavals brought on by inflation, inflation and shortages have prompted the nation of 22 million to embark on negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over a loan program, backed by India.
Officials from both countries are now turning to a less advanced project since it was first proposed more than a decade ago, aimed at linking neighbors with a mile-long line of electricity running beneath the Indian Ocean.
The grid connection project emerged in talks with the Indian energy department in March, when Basil Rajapaksa, the then Sri Lankan finance minister, visited New Delhi to seek help, a source close to the matter said. source, who did not wish to be identified, as the discussions were confidential.
This work is listed among the key objectives of the strategic paper released by the Sri Lankan ambassador to India last July. document.
Beijing and New Delhi
Beijing and New Delhi have long been fighting for influence on the island, which is located in a convenient location near the southern coast of India, and Indian aid in recent weeks has grown amid growing tensions that have brought thousands to the streets.
The grid connection project could be part of New Delhi’s applications from Sri Lanka, which has also received deals on China’s infrastructure in recent years, a well-known source of Indian thought. To date, India has provided up to $ 1.9 billion in debt support and flexibility, and is ready to raise up to $ 2 billion to help Sri Lanka cope with its worst financial crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
power cable under the sea
The plan to connect the two grids has been in operation for years, when neighbors signed an agreement in 2010 regarding the feasibility of a submarine power cable. A study by India’s Power Grid Corporation estimated that a 500-megawatt (MW) or 1,000-MW underwater transmission system would be distributed, a state-owned company said in a 2015 report.
The shortest distance that separates India from Sri Lanka is the narrow line called the Palk Strait, which is about 25 miles [40 km] wide, though the length of the submarine cable may depend on its order. Subsea broad-spectrum power lines include the NordLink, between Germany and Norway, which is approximately 623 km (387 miles) in length.
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