India's Historic Undersea Power Alliance with Saudi Arabia and UAE: A New Era of Energy Exchange Published By Anupam Nath India is poised to revolutionize its energy landscape through a groundbreaking trilateral alliance with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This ambitious project involves laying high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cables under the Arabian Sea, enabling seamless bidirectional electricity trade between the nations. Valued at approximately ₹90,000 crore, the initiative marks a shift from India's traditional oil imports to a future of clean energy exports and imports. The project comprises two major subsea links: a 1,400-1,700 km cable to Saudi Arabia costing ₹47,000 crore and a 1,400-1,600 km cable to the UAE at ₹43,500 crore. Each will transmit up to 2 gigawatts (GW) of power, originating from Bhuj in Gujarat and traversing depths up to 3,500 meters. Joint venture agreements have been signed, with tenders for cable laying imminent, positioning this as potentially the world's first large-scale cross-border energy exchange. This aligns with India's "One Sun, One World, One Grid" (OSOWOG) vision, extending regional interconnections like those with Oman. At its core, the alliance leverages time-zone advantages and complementary renewable strengths. Saudi Arabia, three hours behind India, generates abundant solar power into its evenings, which India can import in real-time during peak demand. Conversely, India—boasting massive solar and wind capacity—can export surplus to the Gulf nations during their off-peak hours. HVDC technology minimizes transmission losses over vast distances, ensuring efficient flow of green energy and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 drives its pivot from oil dependency toward renewables, while the UAE targets net-zero by 2050 amid rising urbanization demands. Both see India as a reliable clean energy supplier, stabilizing their grids. For India, the world's fastest-growing major economy with surging power needs, this means affordable imports during shortages and export revenues from its renewable surplus. Currently exporting 4,100 MW to neighbors like Bhutan and Nepal, India aims to scale to 7,000 MW by 2027, with Gulf links accelerating this. Environmentally, the project combats climate change by optimizing renewables across borders, curbing curtailment, and minimizing storage needs through shared grids. Economically, it fosters jobs in cable manufacturing, installation, and tech transfer—India providing solar expertise and manpower. Strategically, it deepens ties with key oil suppliers, hedging against volatility while positioning India as a global green energy hub. Challenges remain, including engineering feats at extreme depths and six-year timelines post-approvals. Yet, this "India-Gulf Power Bridge" exemplifies multilateral cooperation, redrawing the Middle East-Asia energy map for sustainability and resilience. As Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar noted, these deals herald India's emergence as an electricity exporter
