Sri Lanka aims self-sufficiency in renewable energy by 2050

Sri Lanka will aim at generating 100 percent renewable energy for local consumption by 2050 while exporting non-renewable energy to the SAARC region, top government officials said.

“Sri Lanka will become 100 percent self-sufficient through renewable energy by 2050,” National Policies and Economic Affairs Ministry Secretary M.I.M. Rafeek said at the second SAARC Energy Regulators’ Meeting, which was held in Colombo yesterday.

The SAARC Energy Regulators are aiming to make standards for energy regulation, production and distribution uniform within the region in order to promote cross-border power sharing.

“The challenges to the energy sector include cost of electricity, product and service quality, renewable energy integration and financing and building power plants,” Rafeek said.

Power and Energy Ministry Secretary Dr. B.M.S. Batagoda added that conceptualizing for self-sufficiency in renewable energy would be completed by 2030.

The project is based on the assumption that the governments or policies won’t change—as they usually do—by 2050.

“So, by 2050, all local needs will be catered for by renewables and the excess production of coal will be sold to India,” Dr. Batagoda said.

He said that the Ceylon Electricity Board’s 20-year power generation plan will be followed, which envisions generating 34,055 GWhs annually by 2034 to cater to a 30,759 GWh demand, from the current 12,901 GWhs and 11,516 GWhs, respectively.

The peak power generation will increase from 2,401 MW in 2015 to 5,692 MW in 2034. The increase is however mainly coming through fossil fuels, which will increase its net generation to 2,811 MW (2,483MW of coal) by 2034, while the renewable energy additions will only be 1,216 MW.
Dr. Batagoda added that excess supply would continuously be exported to India, as soon as the infrastructure is in place.

“It will be a submarine cable. We have finished the initial feasibility study, and embark on the final feasibility this month. We will have public consultation,” he said.

Dr. Batagoda said that it was difficult to specify a year of construction and operation and that the cable would cost US $ 500 million.

He added that there was also a possibility to construct the cable jointly with the proposed Indo-Sri Lanka bridge. 
(CW)