Sri Lanka to Construct 100 MW of Floating Solar Projects

The government of Sri Lanka has given the go-ahead to a project that will see the country build a 100-MW floating solar power project together with Canadian partners.

The Cabinet of Ministers last week approved a plan under which the photovoltaic (PV) farm, likely to be coupled with battery storage capacity, will be installed in the Maduru Oya Reservoir, in the eastern part of the island. The project will be implemented by a joint venture of the Sri Lanka Mahewali Authority, state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority and the Canadian Solar Institute.

The government has called for international competitive proposals to build the solar farm. A joint working committee will now be set up to conduct negotiations related to the project.

The scheme was initially proposed by the government of Canada and previously approved to cover 4% of the reservoir’s surface area. The construction of the plant will be part of Sri Lanka’s Soorya Bala Sangramaya Phase IV programme under which the country aims to add 400 MW of solar.

Earlier Sri Lankan Cabinet have approved the proposal to develop 28 small solar power projects in its north-central and eastern regions. The proposal was recently approved by the Cabinet of Ministers who gave consent to the development of 28 solar power projects from 28 investors in the island nation. The tariff for power generated from these projects has been set at LKR 12.84 (~$0.072) to LKR 15.93 (~$0.089)/kWh. The state power utility, Ceylon Electricity Board, will purchase the power from these solar projects.

In October 2018, Mercom reported that Ceylon Electricity Board, Sri Lanka will receive ₹2,529 million (~$34.41 million) from the French Agency for Development. This will be utilized by CEB to implement Tranche II of the green power development and energy efficiency improvement investment program.

Ceylon Electricity Board has an ambitious capital investment plan for the next ten years to maintain 100 percent electrification while improving supply quality and reliability.

Ministry of Finance and Mass Media in Sri Lanka announced that it has agreed with the Asian Development Bank wherein the bank will loan the country $50 million to help develop rooftop solar projects.

In 2018 Japanese Sri Lanka Friendship Corporation, a board of investment company, announced to start manufacturing solar panels at Katunayake in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka wants to install 200 MW of solar projects by 2020 and 1,000 MW by 2025.

Courtesy of www.lankadevelopment.com