One Grid, One World, One Initiative

One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG)

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India and the United Kingdom started the initiative of on “one sun, one world, one grid” or OSOWOG on the COP26 summit held at Glasgow. The concept is based on the idea of creating a transnational electricity grid infrastructure that supplies solar energy.

What is OSOWOG?

  • The OSOWOG is also known as Green Grid. Its aim is ‘The Sun Never Sets,’ and that it is a constant in some geographical regions, globally, at any given point of time. This is by far the most ambitious scheme launched by any country (India) and is significant on a worldwide scale in terms of economic benefit sharing.
  • It has been taken up as part of the World Bank’s technical assistance programme.
  • The OSOWOG strategy may potentially make use of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which India co-founded and currently has 80 member countries.
  • The solar spectrum, with India at the centre, may readily be divided into two broad zones:
  • The Far East include countries such as Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
  • The Far West encompasses the Middle East and Africa.

What are the three phases of the plan?

The Plan is divided into three phases:

  • It will entail interconnection within the Asian continent in the first phase.
  • It will add Africa in the second phase.
  • Third Phase: This phase is all about global connectivity.

What is the importance of the project?

  • Assist all participants in attracting investments in renewable energy sources and maximising the use of their talents, technology, and finances.
  • Reduce project costs, improve operational efficiency, and maximise asset usage for all involved companies.
  • The economic gains that result would help alleviate poverty and assist in alleviating water, sanitation, food, and other socioeconomic difficulties.
  • Allow for the expansion of India’s national renewable energy management centres into regional and global management centres.
  • This initiative, made during the Covid-19 outbreak, positions India as a leader in establishing the
  • global strategy.

What are the concerns about the project?

Geopolitical issues:

  • Viewed as an Indian bid for global leadership.
  • The cost-sharing method will be difficult to implement, given the divergent interests of participating countries according to their socioeconomic status.

Globalisation vs. Deglobalisation:

  • OSOWOG will prove to be an expensive, difficult, and extremely slow-moving project.
  • In India, the primary challenge for renewable energy providers is navigating many state governments and, consequently, multiple laws and regulations.
  • Additionally, the initiative runs against the Prime Minister’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat agenda, as it expands reliance on a critical strategic entity, energy supply, to other countries via this grid.

Centralised vs. Distributed Generation:

  • In most regions, the grid’s voltage, frequency, and specifications vary.
  • Maintaining grid stability solely through renewable energy would be technically challenging.