Sri Lanka has imported the first batch of components for its planned 160 megawatt national Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), the Ministry of Power and Energy said, marking the start of physical rollout for what officials describe as the country’s first commercial-scale storage project.
The initial shipment covers a 20 MW system, the ministry told NewsFirst. The remaining 140 MW of components are scheduled to arrive within the coming week. The wider project is being implemented with an investment of around Rs. 40 billion.
Under the first phase, storage units will be installed near key grid substations across the island, with the Galle and Matara substations designated as the initial connection points. The technology will allow excess solar power generated during daylight hours to be stored and released into the grid during the evening demand peak.
The ministry said the rollout is aimed at building a more stable and modern electricity system anchored on renewables, and is expected to reduce fossil-fuel use while improving grid reliability. Solar power currently contributes about 9.4 percent of national electricity generation, a share officials expect to rise as storage capacity comes online.
The arrival of equipment confirms the project Deputy Power Minister Arkam Ilyas flagged earlier this month, when he said authorities planned to add around 300 MW of battery storage to the grid by year-end, including a 100 MW tender already awarded and a 160 MW tender then under evaluation. It complements other ongoing battery procurements, including the 150 MW Kondachchi wind and BESS package being co-financed by the ADB, WindForce’s IFC-funded Siyambalanduwa storage scheme, and Vidullanka’s 49 percent stake in storage developer Storex. PUCSL’s tariff cycle has repeatedly flagged storage as essential to absorbing intermittent renewable output without destabilising the transmission network.
