COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government received the approval from the cabinet of ministers to set up a 1040 MW hybrid wind and solar energy park in Pooneryn in the battle-scarred Northern Province. The Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting held on Tuesday has approved plans to build a hybrid renewable energy park including 240MW of wind and 800MW of solar at Pooneryn. According to the government’s policy to add a considerable amount of electricity to national grid through renewable energy sources, the government recently has established several such energy projects in the country.
The Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) has identified the northern regions of the country as a suitable area to build wind power and solar power plants. The government expects to add a significant amount of electricity from renewable energy to the national grid. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal made by the Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, to implement the project to build the hybrid energy park consisting of 240 MW wind and 800 MW solar power in three stages.