Saudi Arabia and India are exploring a project to lay submarine cables for the transmission of electricity linking the Indian western coast with Saudi Arabia according to a report by The “Economic Times”.
The project is scheduled to be part of the agenda that will be discussed when HRH Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman visits New Delhi next Friday, to prepare for the trip of HRH Saudi Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to India in November.
The two sides are likely to start discussions on an undersea cable for a power grid that includes South Asia and the Gulf states according to the Indian newspaper.
India will be the first stop of the Saudi crown prince on a trip that will lead him to Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan.
The distance between the coast of Gujarat (the port of Mundra in India) and the Emirate of Fujairah across the Arabian Sea, is 1,600 km.
Alternatively, the cable could also pass through Oman (1,200 km), with its deepest point being 3.5 km.
Many countries are connecting continents via electric cables for energy due to high oil and gas prices. Europe is facing an energy crisis, while Russia was the largest supplier of oil and gas in 2021, providing about 40% of the EU’s total energy needs.
The UK and Norway also share hydro and offshore wind power via an 800 km cable under the sea.
Greece is working on one of the most ambitious energy projects in Europe, by linking its electric grid to the electricity grid in Egypt, an underwater cable will transmit 3,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply up to 450,000 homes.
The cable will extend from northern Egypt directly to Attica in Greece, with the project implemented by the Copelouzos Group.
The clean electricity produced in Egypt and other African countries will be transmitted through underwater cables via wind and solar farms.
Egypt has already completed interconnection projects with Libya, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia while aspiring to become a major energy hub in Southeast Europe.
