India’s MNRE Launches RFP For OSOWOG

• MNRE wants to develop a roadmap and institutional framework to implement OSOWOG
• It has launched an application round to select eligible consultants who will develop the idea and help institutionalize the framework to be developed
• OSOWOG will be developed under the aegis of MNRE with the help of a TA that builds on the ministry and World Bank's association

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in India has launched a request for proposals (RFP) to hire consultants to develop a long-term vision, roadmap and institutional framework to implement the brainchild of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG).

Modi presented his OSOWOG project in 2018 to connect solar energy supply across borders, divided into Far East including nations such as Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Lao, Cambodia, and Far West covering the Middle East and the Africa region. The idea basically relates to building a larger interconnected grid across geographies to share solar power and other renewable energy supplies.

MNRE says the initiative is planned in 3 phases which also comprises the work for the selected consultant, as follows:

• Phase I (Middle East-South Asia-South East Asia (MESASEA) interconnection): Indian grid interconnection with Middle East, South Asia and South East Asian grids to share renewable energy resources including solar to meet electricity needs. The consultant will assess the renewable energy potential of countries by 2030 and assess readiness of the infrastructure, among other tasks.

• Phase II (interconnection of solar and other renewable energy resources rich regions): MESASEA grid getting interconnected with the African power pools to share this clean power. Consultant will have to identify 2 or 3 cross border projects to be initiated within next 1 or 2 years, one each in the Middle East, South East and Africa regions.

• Phase III (global interconnection): To achieve the OSOWOG vision by institutionalizing it into full operations.

A pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for June 5, 2020 with last date to submit applications being June 15, 2020. MNRE says it will take around 4 weeks to evaluate and approve submitted proposals. The RFP is available on MNRE's website.

Hiring a consultant to carry out the above tasks is the responsibility of Suprabha, a technical assistance (TA) program that builds on the engagement between MNRE and the World Bank (WB) following a $625 million concessional loan from the bank to debt finance rooftop solar projects in 2016.

Modi had previously shared the idea of bringing together all solar rich regions of the world which culminated into setting up the International Solar Alliance (ISA) with France's help.