• RE projects important but cannot solve base load power requirement: Parakramasinghe
• Unable to store, use intermittent RE power without large-scale battery-powered RE projects
• CEB looking at reopening previously cancelled tender to procure LNG to power LNG plants
• Broadlands Hydro Project being completed; Uma Oya plant yet to complete construction

Sri Lanka, despite having ambitious plans for its electricity sector, is grappling with a power crisis that remains unresolved, even after a decade of the commissioning of its last major power plant, the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant.

The country, which has been progressively investing in Renewable Energy (RE) projects, is still experiencing a significant power shortfall, with an ongoing shortage of between 300 MW to 500 MW of base load power. The struggle to meet the country’s energy demands has left Sri Lankans facing unreliable power supplies and uncertain futures, despite efforts to diversify energy sources.

Renewable sources alone inadequate

The reason, as learnt by The Sunday Morning, is the inability of RE sources to meet the base load requirement of the national grid. 

“RE projects are important, but they cannot solve the base load requirement,” explained Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Spokesman Eng. Dhanushka Parakramasinghe. “These projects, while commendable, are still too small-scale and intermittent to be reliable in providing the power needed for continuous electricity supply,” he added.

Despite several RE projects being initiated, including wind and solar plants, the CEB has consistently pointed out that these contributions cannot fill the gap left by traditional power plants. The total power generation capacity of small-scale RE plants, such as those under 10 MW, is far too limited. This leaves Sri Lanka with a power grid that remains heavily dependent on non-renewable, thermal power sources, which are expensive and not always readily available.

Currently, the country’s power generation is supplemented by two Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-powered plants. However, these are facing operational challenges. 

“One LNG power plant is commissioned but runs on heavy fuel, while the other has been completed and can only be commissioned on diesel. As a result, this plant is idle,” Eng. Parakramasinghe revealed. This bottleneck has further aggravated the electricity shortage, with Sri Lanka unable to capitalise on its investment in LNG infrastructure.

In an effort to resolve the crisis, the CEB is now working to expedite the country’s procurement of LNG, following a tender that was cancelled under the previous Government. 

“The tender was cancelled, and the previous Government said it should be studied again. We received a proposal from India’s Petronet, but the current Government is not considering that. Instead, we are looking at reopening the LNG tender which was shelved earlier,” Parakramasinghe said.

RE continues to expand, but its role in meeting the country’s base load requirement remains minimal. The CEB Spokesman pointed out that while several RE projects had been commissioned, they were not sufficient to meet the increasing demand for energy. 

“We are facing a shortage of nearly 300 MW, which could rise to 500 MW as energy demand continues to increase,” he stated. He emphasised that RE projects, including the installation of wind and solar power plants, were useful for providing additional capacity but could not replace the stable and reliable power that base load plants were supposed to provide.

Struggling against an energy shortfall

The energy crisis in Sri Lanka comes at a time when the country is exploring various pathways for future energy security. According to the Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP) for 2023-2042, several key renewable and thermal energy developments are in the pipeline, but these projects have faced delays and struggles with financing. 

The Broadlands Hydropower Project, for instance, is currently in commissioning, while the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project, funded by Iran, has been plagued by delays but is expected to complete construction soon. Additionally, solar and wind projects, which offer promising potential for clean energy generation, are facing challenges in scaling up to meet demand.

The CEB has also approved a 50 MW wind power plant and is looking at additional wind and solar plants, but these capacities fall far short of what is required for long-term energy security. Furthermore, with no large-scale battery-powered RE projects available yet, the ability to store and utilise intermittent RE is still limited.

According to the LTGEP, by 2024, the CEB plans to add 94 MW of solar power and 60 MW of wind power, with additional wind power planned for Trincomalee and Madampe. These developments are important steps toward diversifying Sri Lanka’s energy mix but are still insufficient to address the full scale of the crisis. The plan also includes the deployment of 525 MW from 7,000 distribution substations, which may offer some relief to urban areas but may not provide enough coverage for the entire country.

In the thermal sector, plans to expand natural gas capacity are moving forward, with projects such as the 130 MW gas turbines at Kelanitissa and two natural gas combined cycle plants at Kerawalapitiya expected to be completed by 2025. These projects, however, will take years to materialise and, until they are operational, Sri Lanka will continue to depend heavily on expensive fuel imports for its power generation.

The country’s energy storage plans, while still in the early stages, may offer some hope for the future. A 20 MW/50 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) has been planned for 2025, with expansions planned for 2026-2028. If successful, these projects could help mitigate the intermittent nature of RE. However, energy storage remains an expensive and complex challenge that will require substantial investment and time.

The reality is that while Sri Lanka has lofty ambitions for RE development, these efforts have yet to bear fruit on the scale needed to meet the country’s growing electricity demands. As Eng. Parakramasinghe noted: “We are moving forward with RE, but without large-scale energy storage or major base load plants, we are still struggling with the grid shortage.”

The Government has vowed to address these challenges by opening up new tenders for LNG procurement and exploring partnerships with other countries for energy imports. However, unless there is a strategic and accelerated approach to diversifying Sri Lanka’s energy mix, the power crisis is likely to persist. 

“We are still facing an energy shortfall, and the situation could worsen as demand rises,” Parakramasinghe concluded.