7000 SMALL SCALE SOLAR POWER PLANTS BY 2025

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has planned to establish 7000 small scale solar power plants at the rural level, within the next four years, CEB officials said on Tuesday (Jan. 19). 100 MV of power generated through these solar power plants will be added to the National Grid as well, Engineer Vijitha Herath, the Chairman at the Ceylon Electricity Board said. "The Ceylon Electricity Board has already recognized 7000 transformers, where within a 400-meter circumference of one transformer in a 50-60 perch land area, a 100-kilowatt solar power plant could be established," CEB Chairman Vijitha Herath pointed out. Elaborating on the procedure of establishment of solar power plants, Vijitha Herath said, "Tenders will be called and the location of the transformer will be revealed, whereas an individual who owns a land in the nearby area can participate." According to the CEB Chairman, a sum of Rs. 10 million is required to establish one solar power plant with a capacity of 100 kilowatts; and following the tender procedure, one could invest about Rs. 3 million by hand and obtain a bank loan for the rest that could be settled in 5 to 6 years. CEB Chairman Vijitha Herath was hopeful that tenders could be called for about 200 solar power plants by next month. Thereafter, tenders will be called once every three months and within the next four years it is possible to generate close to 700 megawatts, Vijitha Herath further noted.