Canadian firm agrees to set up 100 mw plant:
Wednesday, April 10, 2019.
Power, Energy and Business Development Ministry Secretary Dr. Suren Batagoda and Canadian Commercial Corporation’s Asian Region Director Yvonne Chin exchange the agreement in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday. Picture by President’s Media Division.
The Power, Energy and Business Development Ministry and Canadian Commercial Corporation yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat entered into an agreement to set up a 100 megawatt floating solar power plant in the Maduru Oya reservoir.
Power, Energy and Business Development Ministry Secretary Dr. Suren Batagoda and Asian Region Director of Canadian Commercial Corporation Yvonne Chin signed the relevant agreement in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday.
The Cabinet of Ministers recently granted approval for a proposal to establish floating solar power generation plants on the reservoirs in the Mahaweli Economic Zone as a measure to solve the present power crisis.
This Cabinet memorandum was submitted by President Maithripala Sirisena as Environment and Mahaweli Development Minister with both the Science, Technology and Research and Power, Energy and Business Development Ministries.
The first project will be implemented in the Maduru Oya reservoir using solar panels and batteries which can store electricity with the cooperation of Canadian Solar Inc.
The 100 megawatt solar power plant will cover an approximately 500 acre area in the Maduru Oya reservoir which is less than four percent of the surface area of the reservoir.
This floating plant will add 10 megawatts of power to the National Grid by November this year and will generate its full capacity of 100 megawatts by September, next year.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Power, Energy and Business Development Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry Secretary Anura Dissanayake, Power, Energy and Business Development Ministry officials and Canadian High Commissioner in Colombo David McKinnon and representatives of Canadian Commercial Corporation were present for the signing.