Dullas: 7,000 solar power plants in three years

By Ifham Nizam

The government would complete 7,000 new solar power plants under the village power plant project, Minister of Power, Dullas Alahapperuma said yesterday in Colombo at the launch of the first phase of the project.

The project would add 700 MW to the national grid in three years, he said. “Tenders will be called for the construction of 880 power plants, as the first phase of the project. These power plants will be added to the national grid within a period of seven months. The contribution of solar power to the national grid has been only 417 MW. This project will double that contribution.”

“The concept of a power plant for each village will encourage 7,000 local entrepreneurs and create many new employment opportunities,” he said, noting that he was grateful to State Minister Duminda Dissanayake and other officials who had played a key role in formulating the concept.

“These 7,000 power plants would be set up under a 20-year agreement with the Ceylon Electricity Board.

“Renewable energy is our future. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s vision is to increase the contribution of renewable energy to 70% of the national requirement by 2030.”