Sri Lanka plans to develop 375 megawatt of wind power capacity

Sri Lanka plans to develop 375 megawatt of wind power capacity in Mannar between 2018 and 2025. The projects will be undertaken by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) as part of a drive to increase power generation from renewable energy sources.

Lankabusinessonline.com reports that total wind power capacity of the country rose to 124 megawatts by end of 2014. The country had adopted the first commercial wind power plants in 2010.

The plan to develop wind projects as “as semi dispatchable plants” has been laid out in the Long Term Generation Expansion Plan for 2015-2034 of CEB. The plan was released for public feedback recently.

CEB is also considering potential of other sites including Puttalam, the hill country and northern reaches of the island nation.

Green energy still has an insignificant share in the energy mix of Sri Lanka compared with dirty power. However, the percentage has been steadily increasing and in 2014 it rose by 9.8 percent.

As of January 10, 2015, about 442 megawatts of clean energy plants are connected to the national grid and the private sector is leading investment.

Lankabusinessonline.com reports that by 2020 the CEB plans to build 413 megawatts of additional capacity in mini hydro, 354 megawatts in wind power, 124 megawatts in biomass and 81 megawatts in solar power projects.