New Delhi [India], September 18 : The BIMSTEC Energy Centre (BEC) organised a five-day Capacity Building Programme on “New & Emerging Technologies in Power Sector (Generation, Transmission, Distribution & End Use)” from 14 to 18 September in Bengaluru in hybrid mode under the aegis of the Ministry of Power.
According to an official release, the programme was inaugurated on September 14 by Ghanshyam Prasad, Executive Director, BEC and Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Government of India, along with Pankaj Kumar, Joint Secretary (Transmission), Ministry of Power, Government of India.
The Inaugural Session was also attended by J Sreedevi, Director General, Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Asit Singh, Member Secretary, Southern Regional Power Committee (SRPC), M S Hejib, Executive Director, POWERGRID SRTS-II, and T Srinivas, Executive Director, Southern Regional Load Despatch Centre (SRLDC), GRID-INDIA.
Participants from Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand attended in person, while Bangladesh, Myanmar and the BIMSTEC Secretariat, Dhaka participated online. The programme provided a platform for technical capacity building, exchange of national experiences and sharing of best practices in the rapidly evolving power sector.
The programme covered key emerging technologies across the power sector, including Renewable Energy, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Green Hydrogen, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), Long Duration Energy Storage, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Smart Grids, advanced grid operation technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in power systems and the impact of Data Centre loads. Advanced transmission technologies such as FACTS, HTLS conductors, Dynamic Line Rating and Grid-Forming Converters, along with the India Energy Stack, were also covered.
The programme combined classroom sessions with technical and industrial visits to major power-sector facilities in and around Bengaluru, including the 2500MW HVDC Kolar POWERGRID Station, Ohmium International Green Hydrogen Electrolyser Gigafactory, POWERGRID’s RTAMC, SRLDC/REMC Control Rooms, CPRI Laboratory Facilities and Hot Line Training Centre (HLTC), NPTI.
The programme concluded on 18 September 2026 with a Valedictory Session, in the presence of Bhagwan Sahay Bairwa, Chief Engineer, CEA. The session included sharing of key learnings, country perspectives and participant feedback, followed by certificates and acknowledgements.
The programme forms part of BEC’s continuing capacity-building and knowledge-sharing initiatives aimed at promoting regional energy cooperation among BIMSTEC Member States. This particular programme provided a strong foundation for greater cooperation in power-system planning, renewable integration, energy storage, transmission technology, knowledge sharing and electricity trade in the BIMSTEC Region.
The BEC became operational in Bengaluru on 1 April 2025 and serves as a Centre of Excellence for regional energy cooperation, promoting sustainable development, energy security and energy integration among BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral and Technical Cooperation) Member States Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka & Thailand.