BIMSTEC Energy Programme: Power Sector Capacity Building 2026
The BIMSTEC Energy Programme brought participants from all seven BIMSTEC Member States together in Bengaluru. The five-day programme ran from 14 to 18 September 2026. It focused on new and emerging power sector technologies.
The BIMSTEC Energy Centre (BEC) organised the programme in hybrid mode. It was held under the aegis of the Ministry of Power, Government of India. Ghanshyam Prasad, Executive Director, BEC and Chairperson, CEA, inaugurated the programme. Pankaj Kumar, Joint Secretary (Transmission), Ministry of Power, also attended.
BIMSTEC Energy Programme covers new technologies
Participants from Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand attended in person. Bangladesh, Myanmar and the BIMSTEC Secretariat joined online. The programme supported technical capacity building and knowledge sharing.
Sessions covered Renewable Energy, Battery Energy Storage Systems and Green Hydrogen. Other topics included CCUS, Long Duration Energy Storage and Small Modular Reactors. Smart Grids and advanced grid operation technologies were also discussed. The programme also examined AI in power systems and Data Centre loads.
Advanced transmission topics included FACTS and HTLS conductors. Dynamic Line Rating and Grid-Forming Converters were also covered. The India Energy Stack formed another part of the programme.
Technical visits support practical learning
Classroom sessions were combined with technical and industrial visits. Participants visited the 2500MW HVDC Kolar POWERGRID Station. They also visited the Ohmium International Green Hydrogen Electrolyzer Gigafactory.
Other sites included POWERGRID’s RTAMC and SRLDC/REMC Control Rooms. Visits also covered CPRI laboratories and the Hot Line Training Centre at NPTI.
The programme concluded on 18 September with a valedictory session. Bhagwan Sahay Bairwa, Chief Engineer, CEA, attended the session. Participants shared key learnings, country perspectives and feedback. They then received certificates and acknowledgements.
BEC became operational in Bengaluru on 1 April 2025. It serves as a Centre of Excellence for regional energy cooperation. The centre covers seven BIMSTEC members. These are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The initiative supports cooperation in power planning, renewable integration and energy storage. It also promotes transmission technology, knowledge sharing and electricity trade in the BIMSTEC region.
