Govt. breaks ground on $ 140 m Rividanavi solar power project

THE Government began construction of the country’s largest renewable energy project— the ‘Rividanavi’ Solar Power Park on Saturday (6), under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Disanayake.

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Spanning 500 acres in Kotiyagala, Monaragala District, the $ 140 million project is set to add 100 MW of clean energy to the national grid, as a key step towards achieving the target of fulfilling 70% of the country’s electricity demand from renewable energy by 2030.

This is the first project for which the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) has provided the project site, access roads, and all relevant approvals to the investor:

Sri Lanka’s annual electricity consumption stands at around 15,000-16,000 GWh. Through this project, 219 GWh will be added to the national grid each year. Consequently, the country will be able to save foreign exchange worth Rs. 21 billion annually, which would otherwise be spent on diesel imports for power generation. On average, this translates to a foreign exchange saving of Rs. 41 million per acre.

The Rividanavi project, which marks a milestone in the country’s sustainable development and renewable energy sector, is also expected to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 150,000 metric tons.

As the project also includes a 12 MWh battery storage facility, it is expected to provide strong support in maintaining stability within the national electricity system.