Energy sustainability problem

Significant changes have recently been made to the infrastructure of Sri Lanka’s power system and energy industry. In Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Power and Energy is crucial in developing and carrying out laws pertaining to electricity and renewable energy. Now Minister Kanchana Wijesekera will serve as the Power and Energy Minister as of April 2023. 

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) together with the Lanka Coal Company, Lanka Electricity Company (LECO), Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board, and Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority are a few of the organisations responsible for the monitoring of this industry that ultimately powers the nation.

Currently thermal power and hydroelectricity are the main sources of electricity generation in the nation, with developing sources including photovoltaics and wind power. However, the national grid’s power generating process has not yet completely used other potential energy sources including geothermal, nuclear, solar thermal, and wave power. 

Through the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), which owns and runs the majority of the nation’s hydroelectric and thermal power plants, the Government plays a crucial role in the electricity industry. Privately owned facilities operating under power purchase agreements with the CEB make up the renewable energy industry.

By 2025, Sri Lanka intends to generate 75% of its power from renewable sources. A total of 4,086 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity and 14,671 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy were produced annually in the nation in 2017 alone, and that mix change is a mammoth task. More than half of Sri Lanka’s electricity is produced by thermal energy, with another 40% coming from hydroelectricity and the remaining portion coming from other renewable sources including wind, biomass, and solar. The hydropower sector largely contributes to the energy mix, while the thermal power segment comprises coal-fired and fuel oil-based power units.

Sri Lanka has improved its ability to produce power, especially with regard to renewable energy. The nation has fifteen sizable hydroelectric power plants, fifteen wind farms, as well as minor contributions from solar and small hydro facilities. These sources produced 14,149 GWh of power in the prior recorded year, with thermal sources accounting for 67.20% of the total, hydroelectricity for 29.83%, and other renewables for 2.98%. Therefore, the shift to a greater energy mix balance can be seen. This also alleviates the dependency on coal.

Sri Lanka has a number of hurdles and difficulties as a result of its coal power dependence. Firstly, coal is a fossil fuel that considerably increases air pollution close to the plant sites and contributes to carbon dioxide emissions. The combustion of coal emits greenhouse gases that worsen the global warming catastrophe by causing climate change. 

Moreover, due to its reliance on coal Sri Lanka is susceptible to the fluctuations in global coal markets and prices, which has an impact on the stability of its economy and access to electricity. This dependence on exhaustible fossil fuels was made clear during Sri Lanka’s fuel scarcity and economic crisis, where the poorest sections of the population suffered the most as a result of rising costs.

The electrical grid infrastructure and energy industry in Sri Lanka is moving closer to relying more heavily on renewable energy sources as per the announcements of the current ministry. The energy mix of the nation is diversified, with hydroelectric and thermal electricity dominating the market which is set to change. Sri Lanka’s commitment to a sustainable energy future is demonstrated by its goal of generating three-fourths of its power from renewable sources in the next 2 years.