Publications

Countries in the region have put considerable effort into setting renewable energy targets and are introducing supportive policy frameworks to attract private sector investment. An effective system of financial and non-financial incentives must also be in place to ensure appropriate conditions to leverage renewable energy’s potential. SAARC nations provide financial incentives like tax exemptions, no import duty on related equipment, R&D incentives, grant of capital cost, etc. and Non-Financial incentives like standard power purchase agreement (PPA), arrangement for small generator and information support. There are several financial undertakings and programmes that have been developed by SAARC Member States to attract investments. While there are certain barriers that hinder investments, probable methods to mitigate the risks are been developed in some countries

Mobilizing international and regional funding for renewable energy projects will happen with governments commitment by developing right policy framework required to encourage private players to invest in the sector. Along with a robust policy and hassle-free investment climate, which forms the basis; targeted government interventions and initial funding by public finance institutions will be needed to set the ball rolling for further funding. A combination of various risk mitigating financial instruments and other creative financial solutions such as hybrid debt structures, loan syndication on lending and structured finance mechanisms need to be leveraged to pick up the pace of investment. Complementing the above solutions with international initiatives such as clean development mechanisms and cross border collaborations can provide the international support that renewable energy projects need. All this needs a dedicated body at the SAARC level to overlook the smooth execution of a balanced mix of the above solutions by the SAARC members

Download Full Report Now

“Smart grid is an electricity grid with communication, automation and IT systems that enable real time monitoring and control of bi-directional power flows and information flows from points of generation to points of consumption at the appliances level .” Smart grid technologies provide for an interactive grid which facilitates consumers with the option of being prosumer and provides them the opportunity to both consume and sell electricity from and to the grid based on the requirement and price of the available electricity.

SAARC Energy Centre has engaged India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) for the “Study on Development of Roadmap for Implementation of Smart Grid-Concepts, Practices and Technologies in SAARC Region” in May 2018. The objective of this study is to develop a smart grid framework and to identify a list of potential smart grid interventions along with a clear way forward for all the stakeholders in each of the member states in terms of policy and regulatory requirements, strategy to be adopted, institutional changes etc, for smooth transition from existing grids to smart grids

Download Full Report Now

The medium-term forecasts point towards the SMSs‘ growth firming up, putting an upward pressure on budgets of the countries and widening account deficits, since all of them are import-dependent for their energy requirements. The energy outlook for the region has been prepared by deeply diving into each nation‘s energy profile, determining the underlying demand drivers and corresponding supplies (domestic production as well as imports).

Download Full Report Now

SAARC Energy Centre awarded the Study on “Infrastructure and Enabling Environment for Road Electric Transport in SAARC Member States” to India Smart Grid Forum in June 2018. The objective of this study is to identify and evaluate key enablers for transition to electric mobility and assess the readiness of SAARC member countries in terms of policy, technology, commercial and institutional aspects. Based on the assessment, implementable action points are to be developed to facilitate electric vehicle rollout in SAARC member states.

Download Full Report Now

SAARC member states (SMSs) are cumulatively crude oil deficit nations with minuscule oil reserves and production. Of all the SMSs, only India has significant oil production, which still falls significantly short of domestic demand. Therefore oil requirements to meet the energy needs of SMSs are met mainly through imports from the Middle East. In addition ,cumulative refining capacities fall well short of refined petroleum product requirements across SMSs. Amongst SMSs ,only India has significant refining capacity, not only making it self-sufficient but also a net exporter of diesel and petrol to other SAARC nations, including Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. However, India is also dependent on the Middle East to meeting its LPG demand. None of the others MS with refining capacities are self-sufficient in meeting domestic petroleum products demand.

Amongst the various petroleum products, diesel is key, with demand from the power sector (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives and Nepal) and transportation sector (India, Bhutan) driving demand growth. The purpose of this study is to focus on the opportunities and challenges associated with the energy business pertaining to crude oil and petroleum products in the SAARC region, to review the prevailing business regimes and the relevant regulatory and legal frameworks of the SAARC member states, to examine relevant international and regional best practices and their relevance and applicability to the region, as well as to assess options to promote the business/trade of crude oil and petroleum products in the region.

Download Full Report Now