MONETABRIEF – Sri Lanka is planning to take the installed energy systems to 1,240 MegaWatts over the next three years, officials said as efforts are made to integrate more renewable power into the national grid.
Sri Lanka has just commissioned two 10MW/40MWh BESS system out of the first 160MW battery systems built as build operate own projects by private developers.
Bids for 160MW of BESS for existing ground mounted systems has just closed. Another 250MW of BESS tenders are also under evaluation which takes the total to 560MW, Chairman of Sri Lanka's National Systems Operator, Pradeep Perera said.
"Over the next two years we will have to acquire around 700 to 800MW of battery systems," he said.
The power grid has also tendered for another 100MW/100MWh BESS which will be owned by the power system and is financed by an Asian Development Bank credit.
The bids are also being evaluated.
Once the decision has been made to go for BESS systems, tenders were done fast compared to past practices, he said.
The first tender has taken time as the grid was going through a learning process, Perera said. But others proceeded quickly he said.
As Sri Lanka increases BESS capacity, helping protect the grid from intermittent renewable power, which can de-stabilize it, more rootfop and other solar would be added, Energy Minister Aruna Karunathilake said. (Colombo/Sept27/2026) (Colombo/Sept27/2026)