Sri Lanka connects first large-scale battery energy storage system to national grid

Sri Lanka connected a 10 MW/40 MWh battery energy storage system in Anuradhapura to the national grid on Friday, as part of efforts to increase renewable energy use and improve grid stability.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake attended the commissioning of the facility, which was developed with the participation of Storex (Pvt) Ltd.

The system will store excess solar power generated during the day and release it to the grid when electricity demand rises at night.

Under the broader project, 13 battery storage systems with a combined capacity of 130 MW and 520 MWh are expected to be connected to the national grid. The Anuradhapura facility is the first of these systems to become operational.

The remaining projects are expected to be completed and connected to the grid within the next two to three months.

Ports, Civil Aviation and Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka said Sri Lanka was undergoing a major transition in the power sector, with battery storage playing an important role in integrating more renewable energy while reducing generation costs.

He said Sri Lanka currently generates nearly 3,000 MW of solar power during the day, while daytime electricity demand is around 2,800 MW. Night-time demand rises to about 3,100 MW and could increase further by next February due to El Niño conditions.

Karunathilaka said the main challenge had been the absence of sufficient capacity to store excess solar power generated during the day.

To address this, the Government is implementing battery storage projects with a combined capacity of 160 MW. WindForce is responsible for 130 MW of this capacity, and the Government expects the full 160 MW to be connected to the national grid before the end of this year.

The Government has also begun procurement for a further 400 MW of battery storage capacity, including projects of 250 MW and 150 MW. Some are already at the evaluation stage.

Karunathilaka said the Government expects these projects to be connected to the grid before the end of 2027, possibly within the first six months of that year.

He said expanding battery storage would allow Sri Lanka to absorb more renewable energy and reduce the high cost of generating electricity from fossil fuels at night.

The Government aims to use more renewable energy to produce cleaner electricity, lower generation costs and provide consumers with a more affordable, efficient, reliable and uninterrupted power supply.

During the event, the President also presented a printer to Thammennapura Vidyalaya and symbolically awarded 10 scholarships to students studying Mathematics and Science for the GCE Ordinary Level examination.

Members of Parliament Kumara Jayakody, Prof. Sena Nanayakkara and Bhagya Sri Herath, local government representatives, senior officials from the Ministry of Energy, the Sustainable Energy Authority and the Ceylon Electricity Board’s successor companies, as well as Storex Director Manjula Perera and company representatives, attended the event.