The solar power industry has reportedly suffered a severe setback due to the long-standing failure to modernise the national power grid, preventing the storage of electricity generated from solar energy.
According to industry sources, electrical engineers had highlighted the urgent need to upgrade the grid several years ago and had also approved plans to establish battery storage systems to store excess electricity. However, these proposals have allegedly been neglected over an extended period.
Internal sources at the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) claim that the current government has not issued a tender for the establishment of the proposed battery storage system for more than a year, contributing to the worsening situation in the renewable energy sector.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the CEB System Controller formally informed Minister of Power and Energy Kumara Jayakody, within two weeks of his assuming office, that critical safety relays required to maintain the stability of the national electricity system had not been updated. Despite this warning, no corrective action has reportedly been taken.
Electrical engineers further allege that, in recent months, authorities have resorted to cutting off electricity generated from solar panels and small hydropower plants from the national grid, a move they say has further aggravated the crisis facing the renewable energy industry.
