Govt. to call tenders for mid-to-large scale solar and wind power plants

As the government officially adopted the policy to meet 70 percent of the country’s electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2030, the Cabinet nod has been given to call for proposals of Expression of Interests (EOIs) for solar and wind power projects from interested local and foreign investors.

Power Minister Gamini Lokuge on Monday sought Cabinet approval to call EOIs from local and foreign investors who are interested in financing such projects, prioritising identified projects over 50MW.

As hydropower development in the country has already reached a critical level, the Government Information Department underscored that more attention needs to be given to solar and wind power generation.

Accordingly, the government plans to increase the existing solar power capacity of 248 MW by another 4800 MW and existing wind power capacity by another 3500 MW.

In parallel, the national grid system modernization also needs to be undertaken so that the electricity generated could be transferred to the national grid system.