BIMSTEC Energy Centre Pushes Regional Power Cooperation: BESS, Green Hydrogen, SMRs, Smart Grids and India Energy Stack Explained

Why is BIMSTEC Energy Cooperation in News?

The BIMSTEC Energy Centre concluded a five-day Capacity Building Programme on New and Emerging Technologies in the Power Sector in Bengaluru on 18 September 2026.

The programme was conducted from 14 to 18 September in hybrid mode under the aegis of India's Ministry of Power.

It brought together participants from BIMSTEC member states to study emerging technologies across electricity generation, transmission, distribution and end use.

What is BIMSTEC?

BIMSTEC stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.

It is an important regional grouping connecting countries of South Asia and Southeast Asia around the Bay of Bengal region.

Its seven members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Why is BIMSTEC Geographically Important?

BIMSTEC connects South Asia with Southeast Asia and gives the Bay of Bengal a central place in regional cooperation.

The grouping is particularly relevant to India because it complements India's engagement with its eastern neighbourhood and the wider Indo-Pacific region.

Its membership also creates opportunities for cooperation in connectivity, trade, energy, disaster management, technology and security.

What is the BIMSTEC Energy Centre?

The BIMSTEC Energy Centre, commonly abbreviated as BEC, is a regional institution focused on energy cooperation among BIMSTEC countries.

According to the Ministry of Power, the Centre became operational in Bengaluru on 1 April 2025.

It functions as a Centre of Excellence for regional energy cooperation and seeks to promote sustainable development, energy security and energy integration among BIMSTEC members.

Where is the BIMSTEC Energy Centre Located?

The BIMSTEC Energy Centre is operational in Bengaluru, India.

This is an important factual point for competitive examinations because international and regional institutions are frequently matched with their headquarters or operational centres.

Participation of BIMSTEC Members

Participants from Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand attended the programme physically.

Bangladesh and Myanmar participated online along with the BIMSTEC Secretariat based in Dhaka.

The programme therefore involved participation from across the seven-member BIMSTEC grouping.

What Technologies Were Discussed?

The programme covered a broad spectrum of emerging power-sector technologies. These included renewable energy, Battery Energy Storage Systems, green hydrogen, Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage, Long Duration Energy Storage, Small Modular Reactors, smart grids and Artificial Intelligence applications in power systems.

The impact of growing data-centre electricity demand was also examined.

Battery Energy Storage Systems

Battery Energy Storage Systems, or BESS, store electrical energy in batteries so that it can be supplied when required.

Storage is becoming increasingly important as electricity systems integrate greater quantities of variable renewable energy.

Solar generation is concentrated during daylight hours, while wind generation varies according to weather conditions. Electricity demand, however, does not always coincide with renewable generation.

Why is Energy Storage Important?

Electricity grids must continuously balance supply and demand.

If renewable generation is high when demand is relatively low, storage can absorb some of the excess electricity. Stored electricity can later be supplied when demand increases or renewable generation falls.

Energy storage can therefore support renewable integration, grid flexibility and system reliability.

What is Long Duration Energy Storage?

Long Duration Energy Storage refers broadly to storage technologies capable of delivering energy over extended periods compared with short-duration systems.

Different technologies can provide different discharge durations and operational characteristics.

As electricity systems become more dependent on variable renewable sources, longer-duration storage may help manage extended periods of low renewable generation.

Green Hydrogen

Green hydrogen is generally hydrogen produced through electrolysis using electricity from renewable energy sources.

During electrolysis, electricity is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

If the electricity used for the process comes from renewable sources, the resulting hydrogen is commonly described as green hydrogen.

Why is Green Hydrogen Important?

Hydrogen can potentially contribute to decarbonisation in sectors where direct electrification is difficult.

Possible applications include fertilisers, refining, steel, shipping and certain industrial processes.

However, cost, infrastructure, storage, transport, electrolyser capacity and availability of renewable electricity remain important considerations.

Visit to Green Hydrogen Electrolyser Gigafactory

Participants visited the Ohmium International Green Hydrogen Electrolyzer Gigafactory as part of the programme's technical visits.

The visit provided exposure to equipment associated with hydrogen production through electrolysis.

What is CCUS?

CCUS stands for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage.

The concept involves capturing carbon dioxide from industrial processes or other emission sources, followed by utilisation of the captured carbon or its storage so that it does not enter the atmosphere.

CCUS is particularly discussed in relation to difficult-to-abate industrial sectors.

Small Modular Reactors

Small Modular Reactors, or SMRs, are advanced nuclear reactor designs generally characterised by smaller unit capacity than conventional large nuclear power reactors and greater potential for modular construction.

The word modular refers to the possibility of manufacturing components or modules in a more standardised manner before assembly at the site.

SMRs are being explored internationally as one possible component of future low-carbon power systems.

SMR Does Not Mean Renewable Energy

A common examination trap is to classify nuclear power as renewable energy.

Nuclear energy is generally treated as a low-carbon or non-fossil energy source but not as a renewable energy source.

Therefore, SMRs and solar or wind power should not be placed in the same category merely because all can contribute to lower-carbon electricity systems.

What is a Smart Grid?

A smart grid uses digital technologies, communication systems, sensors and automated controls to improve monitoring and management of electricity networks.

Traditional electricity networks were designed largely around one-directional power flows from large generating stations to consumers.

Modern grids increasingly need to manage distributed solar generation, batteries, electric vehicles and consumers who may both consume and generate electricity.

Artificial Intelligence in Power Systems

The programme examined Artificial Intelligence applications in the power sector.

AI-based systems can potentially assist in demand forecasting, renewable-generation forecasting, equipment monitoring, fault detection and optimisation of grid operations.

However, AI does not replace the need for robust grid infrastructure, cybersecurity, high-quality data and human oversight.

Data Centres and Electricity Demand

The impact of data-centre loads was another subject covered during the programme.

Data centres require large quantities of electricity for computing equipment and cooling systems.

Growth in cloud computing and artificial intelligence can therefore create new challenges for power-system planning, particularly when large data centres are geographically concentrated.

Advanced Transmission Technologies

The programme covered several technologies relevant to modern transmission networks, including FACTS, HTLS conductors, Dynamic Line Rating and Grid-Forming Converters.

These technologies address different aspects of transmission capacity, stability and operation.

What is FACTS?

FACTS stands for Flexible AC Transmission Systems.

FACTS technologies use power-electronic systems to improve controllability and power-transfer capability in alternating-current transmission networks.

They can assist in voltage control, power-flow management and stability depending on the particular technology used.

What are HTLS Conductors?

HTLS means High Temperature Low Sag.

HTLS conductors are designed to carry higher current while limiting excessive conductor sag at elevated operating temperatures.

They can be useful for increasing the power-transfer capability of existing transmission corridors in suitable circumstances.

What is Dynamic Line Rating?

Conventional transmission lines often operate according to predetermined thermal ratings based on conservative assumptions.

Dynamic Line Rating uses real-time or near-real-time information such as ambient temperature, wind conditions and conductor behaviour to estimate how much electricity a transmission line can safely carry under prevailing conditions.

This can help improve utilisation of existing transmission assets when conditions permit.

Grid-Forming Converters

Grid-forming converters are increasingly important as power systems integrate inverter-based renewable generation and battery storage.

Unlike conventional grid-following converters that generally rely on an existing grid waveform, grid-forming technologies can contribute to establishing voltage and frequency references.

They are therefore relevant to discussions about maintaining power-system stability in grids with high shares of inverter-based resources.

India Energy Stack

The India Energy Stack was also included in the technical discussions.

At a broad level, digital energy infrastructure can enable interoperable data and services across an increasingly complex electricity ecosystem.

Digital systems may support consumers, utilities, distributed-energy resources and new energy services, but their development also requires attention to standards, privacy, cybersecurity and interoperability.

2500 MW HVDC Kolar POWERGRID Station

Participants visited the 2500 MW HVDC Kolar POWERGRID Station.

HVDC stands for High Voltage Direct Current.

HVDC transmission can be useful for transferring large quantities of electricity over long distances and for connecting asynchronous electricity systems in appropriate configurations.

HVDC versus HVAC

Most conventional electricity grids use alternating current, or AC.

HVDC converts electricity to direct current for transmission and converts it back where required.

Depending on distance, capacity and system configuration, HVDC can offer advantages for large-scale power transfer and grid interconnection.

Regional Load Despatch Centres

Participants also visited SRLDC and Renewable Energy Management Centre control rooms.

Load despatch centres perform a crucial role in balancing electricity generation and demand and maintaining secure grid operations.

As renewable-energy penetration rises, accurate forecasting and real-time grid management become increasingly important.

Why is Regional Electricity Trade Important?

Electricity demand and generation potential vary across countries and across time.

Cross-border electricity trade can allow countries with surplus power at a particular time to supply neighbouring markets where demand is higher.

Regional trade can potentially improve resource utilisation and system flexibility, provided adequate transmission infrastructure and regulatory arrangements exist.

Hydropower and BIMSTEC

Some BIMSTEC countries possess significant hydropower resources, while others have large and growing electricity markets.

This creates potential complementarities in regional electricity cooperation.

However, cross-border projects require long-term agreements, transmission infrastructure, financing, technical standards and regulatory coordination.

Renewable Energy Integration

Adding renewable generation capacity is only one part of the energy transition.

The grid must also be capable of absorbing and transmitting variable renewable electricity while maintaining frequency, voltage and system stability.

Energy storage, transmission expansion, forecasting, flexible generation and advanced power electronics can all contribute to this task.

Energy Security

Energy security refers broadly to reliable access to energy at affordable and sustainable conditions.

For electricity systems, this requires adequate generation, transmission, distribution, fuel or energy resources, system resilience and operational capability.

Regional cooperation can contribute by allowing participating countries to share knowledge, develop interconnected infrastructure and potentially trade electricity.

Why Capacity Building Matters

New technologies cannot be deployed effectively through investment alone.

Engineers, regulators, utilities, system operators and policymakers need technical understanding of how these technologies operate and how they interact with the existing power system.

Capacity-building programmes allow countries to exchange practical experiences and technical knowledge.

Why is BIMSTEC Relevant for India?

BIMSTEC provides India with an institutional platform connecting its South Asian neighbours with Southeast Asia.

It is relevant to regional connectivity and India's engagement with the Bay of Bengal region.

Energy cooperation adds an important economic and strategic dimension to this regional framework.

Important Prelims Distinctions

BIMSTEC has seven members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The BIMSTEC Energy Centre is operational in Bengaluru.

The BIMSTEC Secretariat is located in Dhaka.

BESS refers to Battery Energy Storage Systems, while SMR refers to Small Modular Reactor.

FACTS stands for Flexible AC Transmission Systems and HTLS stands for High Temperature Low Sag.

HVDC stands for High Voltage Direct Current.

Why is this Important for UPSC Mains?

The topic connects international relations with energy security and science and technology.

A Mains answer on BIMSTEC can use regional electricity cooperation as an example of practical economic integration.

Similarly, an energy-transition answer can discuss storage, smart grids, transmission modernisation, green hydrogen and regional electricity trade together rather than treating renewable capacity as an isolated issue.

Important Facts for Competitive Exams

• Programme: Capacity Building Programme on New and Emerging Technologies in Power Sector.
• Dates: 14–18 September 2026.
• Location: Bengaluru.
• Organiser: BIMSTEC Energy Centre.
• Administrative aegis: Ministry of Power, Government of India.
• BIMSTEC has seven members.
• Members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
• BIMSTEC Energy Centre became operational in Bengaluru on 1 April 2025.
• BEC functions as a Centre of Excellence for regional energy cooperation.
• Key technologies included BESS, Green Hydrogen, CCUS, Long Duration Energy Storage and SMRs.
• Smart Grids and AI in power systems were discussed.
• Advanced transmission topics included FACTS, HTLS conductors and Dynamic Line Rating.
• Grid-Forming Converters and India Energy Stack were also covered.
• Participants visited the 2500 MW HVDC Kolar POWERGRID Station.
• The programme focused on regional power planning, renewable integration, energy storage, transmission and electricity trade.