The Cabinet of Ministers has approved seven renewable energy projects aimed at solar power generation, Lankan People’s Collective President Peshala Serasinghe said in a statement carried by The Island on Saturday.
Serasinghe said the seven approvals were drawn from a wider field of proposals that had been under consideration for several years following Expressions of Interest, with around nine projects shortlisted in earlier rounds of Energy Ministry discussions. The reasons for excluding the remaining two from the latest Cabinet approval have not been disclosed.
Energy Permits for the projects had reportedly been issued by the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, allowing them to proceed within the regulatory framework, although Serasinghe noted it remained unclear whether all of the seven approved projects held valid permits.
The approved projects now move to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka for regulatory clearance covering licensing, tariff approvals and compliance with technical and procurement standards. Serasinghe said the proposals remained subject to detailed evaluations on technical, economic and legal grounds before construction could begin.
The decision follows controversy in April over the CEB rooftop solar shutdown that exposed grid-management strains as private generation grew, and parallels the Hayleys Solar 800kW LSEG installation showing continued corporate appetite for renewable capacity. Larger utility-scale projects such as the Cabinet-cleared seven would, if commissioned, add capacity at the transmission level rather than the rooftop layer that has dominated recent solar growth.
Project capacity, location and developer details have not yet been published.
