- RTSPV tariffs fixed for 20 years
- Rates from Rs. 20.90 to Rs. 14.46 per kWh
- Municipal waste gets highest tariff at Rs. 44.04/kWh
- New tariffs effective from 16 June
The long-awaited revised tariffs for Renewable Energy (RE) projects, including rooftop solar systems, have been officially approved by the Cabinet of Ministers and came into effect on Monday (16).
The decision, aimed at restructuring the financial framework for electricity supplied to the national grid from renewable sources, was formally communicated through a circular issued by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) on Friday (20).
The Sunday Morning has seen a copy of the circular, numbered 2025/GM/15/DCC, along with a related directive from the Ministry of Energy instructing the immediate enforcement of the new tariffs.
The revised rates cover Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic (RTSPV) systems and a range of other renewable energy technologies, including mini hydro, wind, ground-mounted and floating solar, biomass, and municipal solid waste-to-energy projects.
These tariffs will remain fixed for a period of 20 years once a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is signed.
This revision follows a Cabinet decision dated 16 June, and subsequent directives from the Ministry of Energy under reference PE/DEV/03/01.
The newly issued circular also references previous related circulars 2024/GM/46/DCC (2024/DCC/COM-12) and 2025/GM/08/DCC (2025/DCC/COM-05), indicating the continuity of policy developments in the RTSPV sector.
According to the circular, the new flat tariff rates for RTSPV systems will remain fixed for a period of 20 years from the date of signing a PPA.
The rates are structured based on system capacity as follows: for installations up to 5 kW, the tariff is set at Rs. 20.90 per unit; systems above 5 kW and up to 20 kW will receive Rs. 19.61; and those above 20 kW and up to 100 kW will be paid Rs. 17.46.
For systems ranging from 100 kW to 500 kW, the tariff is Rs. 15.49; systems above 500 kW and up to 1 MW will have a tariff of Rs. 15.07; and for installations of 1 MW and above, a tariff of Rs. 14.46 per unit will be applicable.
The circular stipulates that these revised tariffs will be applicable to all new RTSPV applications where the clearance processing fee is paid on or after 16 June.
It further notes that any RTSPV clearance extension requests submitted from that date onward will also fall under the new tariff scheme.
Applications for which the processing fee was paid on or before 16 June will continue to be evaluated under the previously applicable tariff structure, provided they are finalised by 31 July.
The circular, signed by Additional General Manager (DD4) and Distribution Coordination Committee Chairman Eng. K.A.I. Kumara and CEB Acting General Manager Eng. W. Edussuriya, has called for strict compliance from all provincial deputy general managers, area chief electrical engineers, area electrical engineers, and provincial commercial engineers.
Simultaneously, The Sunday Morning has also reviewed a letter from the Ministry of Energy (Ref: PE/DEV/03/01 dated 20 June), which conveys Cabinet decisions approving revised tariffs for various renewable energy technologies under Standardised Power Purchase Agreements (SPPAs).
The directive specifies new flat tariffs for 20 years for several technologies, including mini hydro at Rs. 25.74/kWh, wind at Rs. 23.83/kWh, ground-mounted solar PV at Rs. 17.62/kWh, and floating solar PV at Rs. 24.33/kWh.
Biomass projects based on dendro and agricultural and industrial waste have been set at Rs. 14.57/kWh, with excess power from agricultural and industrial waste priced at Rs. 10.94/kWh. Notably, municipal solid waste projects are now eligible for Rs. 44.04/kWh – the highest tariff in the revised schedule.
The ministry’s letter references Cabinet decisions 25/0782/825/048 dated 26 May and 16 June in relation to Cabinet memoranda from 8 May and 6 June. The directive instructs immediate implementation of these rates across all eligible projects.
Both the CEB and Lanka Electricity Company, along with other sector stakeholders, have been directed to comply with the revised tariffs without delay.