President expedites turn to renewable energy

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is exploring the possibility of rapidly adding power from renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and natural gas to the national grid.

Many countries are turning to renewable energy sources for power generation. As per the “Saubhagyaye Dekma” Policy Statement, by 2030 the government expects to meet 70% of the total electricity demand from renewable energy sources.

During a discussion on power generation held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (15) President Rajapaksa said that the generation of renewable energy should be carried out expeditiously in a systematic manner with short-term as well as long-term objectives.

The government aims to meet the increasing demand for energy from renewable energy sources when implementing development projects in the future. Under its first phase the wind power project installed in the island of Mannar has added 30 megawatts to the national grid.

By the end of the year 2021, the capacity will be increased to 100 megawatts. Wind farms are also being built in the Chunnakam and Pooneryn areas. It is also being planned to gradually increase the power share generated using solar power and natural gas. The President emphasised that the government should intervene to remove all obstacles faced by private entrepreneurs when implementing projects.

President Rajapaksa also said that the Board of Investment and the Ministry of Power and Energy should jointly take steps to explore investment opportunities and implement projects expeditiously.