More than 450 representatives and energy experts from 16 countries attended the threeday conference, jointly convened by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) from September 4th to 6th, to share information on large-scale grid integration and its benefits to a country like India, which has embarked on one of the most ambitious clean energy programs in the world.

The three-day conference covered deliberations between representatives from the Ministry of Power (MOP), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), and Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO) on technical and economic issues. Some of the international representations included Ofgem (UK), CAISO (USA), Eurelectric (Germany), NREL (USA), International Energy Agency (IEA), Southern California Edison (USA), DNV GL (Germany), AMSC (USA), Next Kraftwerke (Germany), Electric Power Research Institute (USA), Uniper Kraftwerke (Germany), Fraunhofer IEE (Germany), Recognis (Finland), and the Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand).

The conference focused on renewable energy grid integration aspects ranging from forecasting, reliable system operation, and transmission and market operation for reliable grid operations under high-variability that accompanies clean energy.

The 2nd edition of the Conference provided an International Forum to:

• Discuss technical and economic issues of the large-scale integration of solar and wind power, including the recent advances in transmission technologies
• Discuss worldwide project experiences
• Discuss innovative ideas and present results from ongoing research
• Stimulate interdisciplinary thinking between renewable energy and power transmission and distribution industries, as well as universities
• Identify subjects requiring more research efforts

The conference was endorsed by the Ministry of Power (MOP) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). More information and presentations to be found here.