Cabinet clears lease of reservoir surface for two solar pilot projects

To support the transit for renewable energy sources, the Cabinet of Ministers approved allocating sections of water surface areas from Chandrika Wewa and Kiriibban Wewa to install two pilot floating solar panel power plants in the Ratnapura district. 

The allocated water surface and areas, amounting to 0.99 hectares each on the reservoirs’ water surfaces along with plots of 0.1 hectares each from the reservoir reserves will be leased annually to the Sri Lanka Solar Energy Authority for the operation of two solar pilot projects. 

The implementation of the proposed projects is expected to contribute to around 3 GWh of annual electricity generation to the national grid.

A grant of 8.63 billion South Korean Won is extended to install two floating solar plants as a pilot project on the surface of Kiriibban Wewa reservoir located in Sewanagala Divisional Secretariat area and Chandrika Wewa Embilipitiya Divisional Secretariat area.  The grant was an outcome of the Framework Convention on Grant Aid signed between the Republic of Korea and Sri Lanka in 2009. The pilot project is to install floating solar panel power plant with 1 MW capacity on the surface of reservoirs.

Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology is acting as the monitoring agency for the pilot project on behalf of the Korean Government.

The proposal to this effect submitted by Irrigation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting on Monday.

Sri Lanka aims at adding up to 2,800 MW of renewable energy into the National Grid by 2025. At present, renewable energy generation has not exceeded at least 1,000 MW.