ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka's state-run Ceylon Electricity Board said it has begun seeking funds to build a 600 MegaWatt pumped storage plant to integrate solar and wind energy and maintain grid stability.
Does Sri Lanka need solar power?
Primarily, Sri Lanka has the required resource potential – particularly wind energy and solar energy resources. Even with the potential lands of solar power development alone, the electricity generation capacity for a foreseeable future period can be met.
Does Sri Lanka have wind power?
Later still, the satellite-based survey of wind resources in the country carried out by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the United States of America revealed that Sri Lanka possess developable wind resources capable of generating 25,000 MW of power.
The main benefits of an energy park are as follows: Wind power development in Sri Lanka date back to mid-1990's where the first grid connected project was implemented by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), in Hambantota. This project continues to operate till mid-2018, with a capacity of 3 MW.
The estimated total technical potential of off-shore wind in Sri Lanka is 92 GW, including 55 GW of fixed potential and 37 GW of floating potential. Technical potential is defined as the maximum possible installed capacity as determined by wind speed and water depth.
The CEB is the single buyer of electricity as permitted in the legislation. Sri Lanka, being a relatively small country with heavy pressure on land use cannot afford to have several wind power projects scattered all over the country, although the resource potential may encourage such widespread dispersion of projects.
Sri Lanka is blessed with plentiful solar resources. Through this initiative to sanction a 100 MW solar park in Siyambalanduwa, emphasis has been made to use barren lands unsuited for agriculture or other economic development activities for solar power generation. Accordingly, the first 100 MW solar park will be sanctioned in Siyambalanduwa.