Electricity sector ofSri Lanka

Charts showing the available grid capacity by source (left) and the annual generation by source (right).[1][2][3]
Data
Installed capacity (2017)	4,086MW
Production (2017)	14,671GWh

Theelectricity sector in Sri Lanka has anational grid which is primarily powered byhydroelectric power andthermal power, with sources such asphotovoltaics andwind power in early stages of deployment. Although potential sites are being identified, other power sources such asgeothermal,nuclear,solar thermal andwave power are not used in the power generation process for the national grid.^[1]

The country is expected to achieve 75%electricity generation byrenewable energy by 2025.^[4]

Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) first witnessed electricity in 1882 whenSS Helios docked in Colombo for a local electricity exhibition.^[5]

In 1890, using adiesel generator the firstelectric bulb in Ceylon was lit with electricity in the Billiard Room ofBristol Hotel inColombo, before electric lights became an established commercial product.^[5]

In 1895, Messrs Boustead Bros established a small power station in Bristol Building,Fort. The power station was the first commercial power station in the country, serving a few mercantile offices, government buildings, and streets, in the Fort area. The company establishedElectricity Ordinance No. 5, the first Act pertaining to the supply of electricity in the country.^[6]

Four years later in 1899,United Planters Company established the Colombo Electric Tramways, the firsttram system in the country. In 1902,Colombo Electric Tramways and Lighting Co. Ltd. was formed, and thePettah Power Station was established on Gas Works Street.

The Pettah Power Station served the tram network, and also served mostly mercantile offices, government buildings, and streets. Over the next three years, the electricity supply was extended toGalle Face andKollupitiya, serving several houses.

In 1905, theColombo Gas Company established a power station inKandy, which was eventually taken over by theKandy Municipal Council in 1922. In 1906,Electricity Ordinance No. 36 was passed as an amendment toElectricity Ordinance No. 5.

In 1912, the government commissioned a small hydroelectric power station atBlack Pool, and inaugurated theNuwara Eliya Electricity Scheme. In 1918,D. J. Wimalasurendra, submitted a report to theEngineering Association of Ceylon, outlining the economic viability ofhydroelectricity in Ceylon.

From 1920, local authorities in at leastGampaha,Veyangoda,Ja-Ela,Peliyagoda,Kochchikade,Avissawella, andMinuwangoda started supplying electricity locally fromdiesel generators.

In 1927, the Department of Government Electrical Undertakings (DGEU) was established to take over and run the electricity supply business in Colombo, and extend the supply to other areas, and eventually the entire country. The three-megawatt Stanley Power Station - named afterHerbert Stanley, was commissioned in 1929, supplying 16 towns by the end of the year.

In 1935, theState Council of Ceylon passedElectricity Board Establishment Ordinance No. 38 of 1935, only to be dissolved again 1937 with the re-establishment of the DGEU.

Sri Lankangained independence on 4 February 1948.

On 30 October 1950, theOld Laxapana Power Station was finally completed, after being under development since 1924.^[7] The same year, regional offices were opened inNorton Bridge,Nuwara Eliya,Diyathalawa,Panadura,Negombo,Avissawella, andPeradeniya, to decentralise the electricity works. The following year, electricity was purchased from theKankesanthurai Cement Factory from distribution inJaffna.^{[clarification needed]}

On 1 November 1969, the currentCeylon Electricity Board (CEB) was established underParliament Act No. 17 of 1969. To this day, the CEB oversees the development and coordination of the generation, supply, and distribution of electricity in the country.^[8]

A panoramic view of theVictoria Dam and Reservoir, the largest hydroelectric facility in Sri Lanka.

Electricity in Sri Lanka is generated using three primary sources —thermal power (which includes energy from biomass, coal, and fuel-oil),hydro power (includingsmall hydro), and othernon-conventional renewable energy sources (solar power andwind power):

Hydroelectricity is the oldest and historically the principal source of electricity generation in Sri Lanka, holding a share of 48% of the total available grid capacity in December 2013 and 58% of the power generated in 2013.^{[9][needs update]} Hydroelectric power generation has been constantly under development since the introduction of the national grid itself, but its market share is declining because suitable new sites are scarce. Currently, ten large hydroelectric power stations are in operation, with the single largest hydroelectric source being theVictoria Dam. Although a large portion of the country's hydroelectric resources is tapped, the government continues to issuesmall hydro development permits to the private sector, for projects up to a total installed capacity of10 MW per project.^[10]

State-run hydroelectric developments are categorized into three main geographic sectors.

• Laxapana Complex consists of six maindams with related power stations —Broadlands,Canyon,Castlereigh,Laxapana,Maskeliya, andNorton dams.
• Mahaweli Complex consists of eight dams and related power stations:Bowatenna,Kotmale,Moragahakanda,Polgolla,Randenigala,Rantembe,Upper Kotmale, and theVictoria dams.
• Samanala Complex consists of theGal Oya,Kukule Ganga,Samanala, andUdawalawe dams.

This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(June 2020)

Thermal power stations in Sri Lanka now roughly match the installed hydroelectric generation capacity, with a share of nearly 49% of the available capacity in December 2013 and 40% of power generated in 2013.^[9]Thermal power stations in Sri Lanka runs ondiesel, otherfuel oils,naptha orcoal.^[9] TheNorocholai Coal Power Station, the only coal-fired power station in the country, was commissioned in late 2011, adding a further300 megawatts of electrical capacity to the grid. It is currently planned to add an additional600 MW of capacity to Norocholai in the next half decade. The second and final coal power station,^[11] theSampur Coal Power Station, is under consideration inTrincomalee and is expected to be in-service by the end of 2017.^[12] On 13 September 2016 the Attorney General's Department informed the Supreme Court that the Sampur Coal fired plant has been cancelled and will not be built.^[13]

The use of wind energy was seen in the country even before 500 BC. The ancientSinhalese used themonsoon winds to power furnaces as early as 300 BC, making Sri Lanka one of the first countries in the world to usewind power. Evidence of this has been found inAnuradhapura and in other cities.^[14]

The development of modernwind farms was considered by local and international developers for many years. Such developments were largely hampered due to the many obstacles faced in such developments in economics and infrastructure. The first commercial grid-connected wind farm is the3 MWHambantota Wind Farm, northwest ofHambantota. The country has good off-shore wind potential to meet all its electricity requirements.^[15]

Unlike other power sources, power developments from this source would face many challenges during its development timeline. Poor accessibility to potential sites is the first obstacle in the development of awind farm. Most key transport routes around the country are too narrow or have turned too tight for transportation of turbines larger than600KW. Constructing wind farms withturbines smaller than the current commercial-scale megawatt-class turbines would prove to be uneconomical due to the high cost incurred during development.

The country is also in a long battle against its poorpower grid. The grid, apart from being unstable in mostprovinces, is only capable of handling a small increase in load, typically limited to a few megawatts. Provinces with poor grids, such as the power grids in theNorthern,North Central andNorth Western provinces need a complete upgrade to support further commercial-scale developments. This factor contributes to a large percentage in development costs forwind farms constructed at such locations. The government policy limit of10 MW per wind project also significantly decreases economies of scale, further straining such developments.

This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(June 2020)

Despite the many technical obstacles, a few developments totalling50 MW have been proposed till September 2009.^[16] In October 2009, cases were filed over political interference connected with the approving of wind projects, leading to a complete halt in the wind power industry in Sri Lanka.^[17] TheMinistry made allegations of wrongdoing in allocating energy licences, including the structuring of the wind power tariff.^[18] There were also allegations that energy licenses are being sold, similar to how car licenses have been sold.^[18]

From December 2009 to March 2010, permits for another50 MW of projects were issued by theSri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, before concerns relating to the issuing of permits were raised again,^[19][20] leading to another deadlock in the industry. As of June 2010, issuing of permits for the development of private wind farms were stopped.

In July 2010, engineers at theCeylon Electricity Board raised further concerns regarding the approval of private wind projects with extra high tariffs, presumably some of the highest in the world.^[21] A review of the wind power tariff was expected to be carried out on 12 September 2010,^[22] after an agreed postponement.^[23]

As of 2017, Sri Lanka has more than 100 MW in installed capacity for solar power and intends to be able to generate 1 GW installed capacity by 2025.^[24]

Grid-connected solar power has only recently been introduced. The only operational commercial-scale solar-powered facility is theBuruthakanda Solar Park of1.2 MW, operated by the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA).^[25]

Through the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy, Ceylon Electricity Board, and the SLSEA, the country is implementing an accelerated solar rooftop program called Soorya Bala Sangramaya (Battle for Solar Energy). The program was launched on 6 September 2016.^[24]

Geothermal power is under research, although no power stations of this type are operational.^[26][27][28]

TheCEB has included a 600 MWe nuclear power plant as an option in its plans for 2031.^[29]

The Sri Lankan electric transmission network consists principally of 132 kV facilities, with a 220 kV backbone connecting major inland hydroelectric generation to the capital region.

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The proposed connection involves the linking of thenational grids ofIndia andSri Lanka viaRameshwaram in south India andTalaimannar in north-west Sri Lanka. The project involves the construction of aHVDC connection betweenMadurai in southern India andAnuradhapura in central Sri Lanka, through thePalk Strait. The link would measure approximately 285 kilometres (177 mi) in length, including 50 kilometres (31 mi) of submarine cables, and would take more than three years to construct. It would be implemented by thePower Grid Corporation of India Limited andCeylon Electricity Board.^[30] As Sri Lanka has good solar PV and offshore wind power potential, surplus renewable power generated in Sri Lanka can be exported to India in future.

The monthly end-user electricity tariffs are:

In 2010, theMinistry of Power and Energy, with the Lanka Electricity Company and theCeylon Electricity Board introducednet metering, where consumers could generate their own power from renewable sources and credit excess production back to the power utility.^[34] While the power utility will not pay back in monetary values irrespective of how much credit a household generates, it allows the transferring of this credit between households.^[35] The first solar power facility intended for net metering was commissioned in July 2010.^[36]

Per Section 21-2 of theSri Lanka Electricity Act No. 20 of 2009,^[37] thePublic Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka has granted the following entities exemptions in electricity usage:

• List of power stations in Sri Lanka
• Renewable energy by country
• Sri Lanka Electricity Act 2024
• 2019 Sri Lanka electricity crisis

• Electric power in Sri Lanka

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