Issue In the current scenario, FiT is allowed only for a system of less than 10 MW, which has restricted the advantage of economies of scale especially for Wind Power and has made interconnection of generation at 33kV a fact as developers do not want to pay for a deep connection. It is significant to increase the transparency of the power sector for attracting private investment at reasonable prices. The agreements between Transmission Licenses and generation licensees are of utmost importance as it may be that in the future, both CEB and private developers may be competing to supply renewable energy to the CEB Transmission Licenses. The current Law requires public sector participation for the development of renewable energy facilities with an installed capacity beyond 25 MW. This boundary has required the assessment of alternative mechanisms to develop Power generators from renewable energy sources enabling private participation while ensuring participation of the public sector.
SOLAR PV PROJECT In March 2021, Panasian Power PLC commissioned a 3 MW ground Solar plant in Matara, Panasian Power is also the equity investor and led all aspects of the construction including in-house engineering, design, site acquisition, acquiring permissions, simulation, and procurement. The company uses the latest Trina bifacial Solar panels, and the bankable inverter (Sungrow). In February 2020, a 42-kW floating Solar Power plant has come online in Sri Lanka as the country’s first floating Solar project. This floating Solar project is the result of a collaboration between the University of Jaffna and the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL). In March 2019, a floating Solar Power project in Maduru Oya reservoir in Mahaweli Economic Zone was proposed by the government: Power, Energy, and Business Development Ministry and Canadian Commercial Corporation had agreed to set up a 100 MW of floating Solar PV Power plant. In January 2017, the Solar One Ceylon Power Station of 12.56 MW has been commissioned at Welikanda in the Polonnaruwa District. The project was equipped with JA Solar’s polycrystalline modules. In December 2016, LOLC Group and Faber Capital Limited opened a 10-MW photovoltaic (PV) park in the country. SagaSolar Power built the facility on 45 acres of land in Baruthankanda, Hambantota district. In October 2016, a 20 MW of Solar PV plant has been commissioned by Laugfs Power (Pvt) Ltd. in the Hambantota district. Conclusion Sri Lanka moving towards an upper-middle-income economy, need for power has been expanded and it constrained the nation to rely upon alternative energy like fossil fuels. This reliance on non-renewable energy sources has contributed to more GHG emissions. The country is expecting carbon neutrality by 2050. So, it is creating and embracing domestic, renewable sources of energy to satisfy its developing need for energy. Barriers such as grid integration, institutional, financial, informative, and regulatory are the key challenges for developing Solar PV throughout the country. The government is issuing Solar PV tenders in the country, also trying to attract foreign investors, but due to the unstable political and economic situation, the country is also poised to take significant steps following the lead set by India and several other countries.
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