COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has directed plans be made to produce 70% of the electricity in the country from renewable sources by 2030, following a meeting with the solar and wind energy ministers.
The President’s Media Unit in a statement on Wednesday (16) quoted the president as saying, “We should harness renewable energy sources as much as possible for our future generations to experience a sustainable development.”
Sri Lanka has long term generation plan developed by the State run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), but cheaper thermal plants have been delayed and expensive stop gap plants are usually installed after each crisis.
A new long term generation plan is currently being developed.
Fears have been expressed that the connection of small renewable plants would be phased out to ensure system stability is not undermined until investments are made for their proper upkeep.
The statement said President Rajapaksa had called for projects to be approved within 14 days, warning if it takes more time it should be considered as having been approved. He had also suggested that if projects selected through tenders do not start within three months, their licences should be revoked.
-economynext.com