RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and India on Sunday signed a deal to boost cooperation in the field of renewable energy. The memorandum of understanding was inked between Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Raj Kumar Singh, India’s minister of electricity, new and renewable energy, on the sidelines of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week in Riyadh. The MoU aims to establish a general framework for collaboration between the two parties in the areas of electrical interconnection, exchange of currents during peak times and emergencies, development, and joint production of clean hydrogen and renewable energy projects in both countries. Moreover, the agreement seeks to establish safe, reliable, and flexible supply chains for materials used in green hydrogen and the renewable energy sector in accordance with the two countries’ capabilities and the regulations and laws enforced in India and the Kingdom. The MoU included collaboration in conducting the necessary studies and coordinating with relevant authorities and companies. In September, the two sides reached an agreement on energy cooperation when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was in New Delhi for the G20 Summit and state visit. The deal, also signed by the crown prince and Singh, focuses on collaboration in efficiency, renewables, green hydrogen and green ammonia, and grid interconnection between the two countries. Under the pact, subsea cables will connect the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia with the western coast of the Indian subcontinent, bridging the Middle East and South Asia grids. Additionally, India is currently in talks with countries like Singapore and Thailand to establish similar underwater and land-based connections, potentially extending this network to Southeast Asia. The plan is to enable the flow of renewable energy between the regions, reducing dependence on costly storage facilities. Commenting on the previous arrangement, the linking of the nation’s power grids will help accelerate the latter’s energy transition, the Indian minister told Arab News after the signing of a “game changer” agreement on electrical network interconnection. He added that renewable energy is continuously available because the countries are located in different time zones. “It is a game changer. The cost of electricity will come down for the entire region, for the entire Middle East, for our subcontinent, and also for Southeast Asia. And that’s the future. We are transitioning to a non-fossil future. This will enhance, accelerate the transition,” the Indian minister said. According to Singh, grid interconnection would serve as a preventive measure against potential damaging scenarios. “Nothing like what happened about the energy crisis in Europe will happen again. This will replace the gas pipeline with the electricity pipeline,” he said. He added: “People in different time zones will be able to say that ‘OK, I want renewable energy from Saudi Arabia between this time and this time, or I want renewable energy from India between this time and this time.’ The prices will be quoted on the exchange people will be able to buy. That is a different world.” Saudi Arabia and India are shifting from fossil fuels, aiming to have 50 percent of installed renewable energy by 2030.