Regional Energy Trade Workshop Held at ADB
9 September 2014
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) held a Regional Energy Trade Workshop at its headquarters in Manila, Philippines on September 8-9, 2014 that was attended by policy makers, regulators, and key stakeholders from the energy sector of ADB member countries. Mr. Bindu Lohani, ADB Vice President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, delivered the welcoming remarks, emphasizing the importance of regional integration and cooperation in the work of ADB, and boosting connectivity in the areas of transport, energy, and trade and investment.
As a platform for knowledge-sharing, the workshop aimed to equip decision makers with key knowledge on regional power trade through discussions on infrastructure, policy, and regulation, as well as regional electricity trade and design. Seven sessions were spread out over a two-day period, with three key presentations covering energy trade in South Asia:
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Energy Resources, Power System Structure and Capacity in South Asia – Priyantha Wijayatunga, Principal Energy Specialist, Energy Division, South Asia Department, ADB. Mr. Wijayatunga gave a comprehensive backgrounder on primary energy sources, electricity supply and consumption habits, the power system structure, and transmission networks of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Ongoing efforts in regional power trade in South Asia, including hydropower development in Bhutan and Nepal, and necessary infrastructure and policy developments to further enhance power trade were also discussed.
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South Asia Energy Ring and SRETS Follow On Actions – P.N. Fernando, former Manager, Energy Division Infrastructure, Energy, Financial Sectors Department, ADB. Mr. Fernando's presentation traced the roots of regional energy trade in South Asia—the South Asia Energy Ring, created during the 2004 Islamabad Summit of SAARC Country Leaders, and the SAARC Regional Energy Trade Study (SRETS), a study supported by ADB technical assistance. His presentation showed how carefully-studied power trade promotion in South Asia, along with government and economic support, can help the region meet current and oncoming demands for energy in the growing region.
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India's Power Cooperation with Its Neighbors: Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh – Ravinder, Regional Advisor on Energy, Central Electricity Authority, India. Mr. Ravinder, regional advisor on Energy, gave an update on Bhutan and Nepal hydropower projects in the pipeline to export power to India. He also talked about rising power demands in the region, specifically, in India and Bangladesh, and how these can be met through power cooperation being established today. SAARC's key role in creating an electricity grid and in supporting the growing electricity market in South Asia was also highlighted.
The workshop was organized by ADB. Sixteen delegates attended from energy ministries and the private energy sector of SASEC member countries Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
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