Indian grant for renewable energy to three islets in north Sri Lanka

Hyderabad: India and Sri Lanka on Friday signed an agreement for the development of a hybrid renewable energy system at three islands of the northern Jaffna peninsula.

The project will consist of work to construct 530 kw of wind power, 1,700 kw of solar power, 2,400 kWh of battery power and a 2,500 kw diesel power system for Delft, Analativu and Nainativu islets, Sri Lanka's Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said in a statement.

“Under a full financial grant of $10.995 million extended by the government of India – these islands would receive the hybrid renewable energy systems by March 2025,” the statement said.

The project, which is aimed at addressing the energy needs of the people of the three islands, is being executed through grant assistance from the Government of India.

The Indian envoy in Colombo Santosh Jha was present at the ceremony. The Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, the Government of India, and the U Solar Clean Energy Systems, a Bengaluru-based company signed the agreement, the Indian High Commission said.

“India: a committed partner! HC @santjha & Hon. State Minister Indika Anuruddha witnessed the contract signing of the Hybrid Renewable Energy Project in Nainativu, Analaitivu & Delft islands, off Jaffna.

This grant project by India addresses the energy needs of the people of the 3 islands,” a post on social media platform X by the Indian High Commission in Colombo said along with photos of the document signing event.

“I thank the Government of the Republic of India, HE Santosh Jha High Commissioner @IndiainSL, Former High Commissioner HE Gopal Bagalay, officials of the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka for the assistance,” Sri Lanka's Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said in a post on X after the signing event.

India's assistance to the project for the people of the three islands, which are not connected to the national grid, underscores the significance attached by GOI to bilateral energy partnership as well as the human-centric nature of development partnership, officials said.

“It may be recalled that the energy sector was identified as a priority area in the India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision document which was adopted during the visit of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to India in July 2023.

Several landmark initiatives such as the power grid connectivity, multi-product two-way oil pipeline are currently under discussion between India and Sri Lanka in the energy sphere,” according to a report in NewsFirst.lk, a Sri Lankan news portal.

India's overall development partnership portfolio stands at $5 billion with almost $600 million being in grants alone, it said.