Sri Lanka (Commonwealth Union)_To encourage renewable energy, India and Sri Lanka have agreed to construct a 135-megawatt solar power facility in two phases in Trincomalee, the eastern port area of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Cabinet has authorized the project, as the government aspires to produce 70% of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources by 2030.
According to the statement from the Cabinet meeting that was held this week, “The National Thermal Power Corporation of India and the Ceylon Electricity Board have entered into an agreement to jointly implement a solar power project in two stages”. The statement added that in the first phase of this project, it has planned to construct a 50-megawatt solar power plant at an estimated cost of $42.5 million, and a 40-kilometer transmission line carrying 220 kilowatts would be built from Sampoor to Kappalthure at a cost of $23.6 million. This phase is anticipated to be completed within two years, between 2024 and 2025.
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According to the statement, in the second phase of this project, an 85-megawatt solar power plant is anticipated to be completed with a total expenditure of $72 million. It was also said that the Indian government has expressed interest in encouraging and deepening collaboration in the renewable energy industry by managing and supporting power production projects utilizing solar and wind power, including coastal wind and biomass.
The statement further added that India would also supply infrastructure for transmission in areas mutually agreed upon in Sri Lanka, including the northern and eastern provinces, in collaboration with private and state entrepreneurs from India and Sri Lanka. Further, a 2013 deal with NTPC to construct a thermal power station in Sampur was later rescinded due to environmental concerns around the use of coal for power production.
