El Niño could affect Sri Lanka’s power generation in early 2027, minister says

Sri Lanka could face pressure on electricity generation in March and April 2027 due to prevailing El Niño conditions, Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka said.

Speaking to the media, Karunathilaka said the Government planned to strengthen the national grid through battery energy storage systems to help manage the expected impact.

Under the first phase, projects with a combined capacity of 160 megawatts are expected to be connected to the national grid before December.

The Government plans to add 130 megawatts through the system in September and another 10 megawatts in October, he said.

Karunathilaka said a further 50 megawatts could be added to the grid if issues surrounding the privately developed Mannar wind power project were resolved.

The Minister said the Government also expected to add battery storage capacity of 250 megawatts and 150 megawatts to strengthen electricity supply and help the country manage possible generation constraints associated with El Niño.