Tuesday Apr 07, 2026
Tuesday Apr 07, 2026
Tuesday, 7 April 2026 01:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Government has accelerated plans to deploy large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), as it moves to address growing imbalances in the power system driven by the rapid expansion of renewable energy.
At its meeting last week, the Cabinet of Ministers approved two interlinked decisions aimed at strengthening grid flexibility and enabling greater utilisation of renewable energy, particularly solar power, which has expanded faster than initially projected.
Accordingly, the Cabinet approved a complementary procurement process for an additional 50 MW of battery storage capacity, which will be integrated with existing solar power plants.
“This component will be awarded through a competitive bidding process overseen by the Renewable Energy Supply and Operations Supervision Division of National System Operator Ltd., a successor entity of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB),” Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing last week.
The decisions come as system data show that peak night-time electricity demand is rising nearly two years ahead of forecasts outlined in the country’s long-term generation plan. This shift has exposed structural gaps in balancing daytime solar generation with evening demand, necessitating urgent investment in storage solutions.
Under the revised plan, Sri Lanka will advance the commissioning of 300 MW of battery energy storage capacity, originally scheduled for 2031-2032, to the 2028-2029 period. The move has been approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) as part of efforts to modernise the grid and support higher renewable penetration.
A major component of the initiative involves the deployment of 25 standalone battery storage projects, each with a capacity of 10 MW/40 MWh, directly connected to the medium-voltage distribution network of the CEB. These systems will allow excess daytime solar energy to be stored and released during peak evening hours, addressing one of the most critical constraints in the current energy mix.
In a parallel decision, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the implementation model for the 25 standalone battery projects under a build-own-operate (BOO) basis, with a 15-year operational period.
He said this approach is expected to attract private sector participation while reducing the immediate fiscal burden on the state.
The twin decisions reflect a strategic shift in Sri Lanka’s energy planning, as policymakers seek to keep pace with the rapid growth of renewables, particularly solar, which has already exceeded integration thresholds set in the 2023-2042 long-term generation plan.
Both proposals were submitted by the Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody.
