Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara has reviewed the progress of 06 large-scale renewable energy projects at the Ministry of Power and Energy (MoPE) on Tuesday (07).

Accordingly, Wijesekara has instructed the officials of the ministry, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) to expedite the evaluation, approval process and the power purchase agreements to have them ready by the end of the month, subject to Environment and Land Clearance approvals. 

Taking into X (formerly Twitter), the Minister assured that the proposed 06 projects will add 1,110 MW to the national grid in the next 03 years.

Meanwhile, the CEB had recently called for expressions of interest (EOI) for the construction of two 100 MW floating solar power plants on the Samanalawewa Reservoir.

Interested parties are sought for the construction of floating solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants to be installed on the reservoir, with the goal of enhancing the country’s renewable energy capacity. 

This initiative is reported to be a part of a broader effort to integrate solar power with the existing hydroelectric power generation during daytime hours.

The project, which is anticipated to have a 20-year contract period, is expected to be connected to the national grid as early as possible, including all necessary components such as transmission lines and substations.