The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) are working with dedication to provide 70 percent renewable electricity to the National Grid by 2030, as per the Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour manifesto of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, said Solar Power, Wind and Hydro Power Generation Projects State Minister Duminda Dissanayake.
“We are engaged in a local and international publicity campaign to attract bidders and investors to invest in solar power, hydro and wind power as well as the other sustainable energy sources such as timber-based renewable energy electricity projects in the country,” State Minister Dissanayake emphasised.
He further said that it is expected to generate 450 MW through mini-hydro electricity plants to supply the National Grid by 2023.
The State Minister said that the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority was established based on the One-Stop-Shop concept to accelerate the implementation of renewable energy electricity generation projects.
“But, on the instructions of the President whose target is to enrich the National Grid with 70 percent of the supply derived from renewable energy sources by 2030, I have been able to streamline the SLSEA so that the investors are now able to get their requirements including various approvals and services except the environmental approval in maximum one month,” State Minister Dissanayake said. “Taking into special consideration the National importance of renewable electricity plants generating 10 MW or less than 10 MW capacity, the guidelines for speeding up the process have been published in Extraordinary Gazette No 2261 of 04.01.2022 for attracting suitable investors.”
He also said that Sri Lanka has been continuously depending on fossil fuels for generating electricity since the beginning of the country’s energy sector. This practice has now developed to the extent of creating a controversial energy crisis. In this context, it is essential and vital to take to renewable energy sources mainly solar, wind and hydropower which are free and in abundance available in the country.
Referring to the present energy crisis, the State Minister told the Daily News that while a majority of countries have concentrated on plans to generate electricity utilising sustainable energy resources, we are lagging in the field of renewable energy sources development promotion and processing on the face of fast-growing demand for electricity as a result of the growing population.
Add new comment