Last week, the Sri Lankan government’s Ministry of Power and Energy announced it is now welcoming expressions of interest for ground-mounted or floating solar PV plants – operating at a total capacity of 25 MW – on a build, own and operate basis (BOO) at three substations in the South Asian country.

The projects will range in size from 1 MW to 5 MW and will be located close to three Sri Lankan substations with their own capacity limits: Matara (10 MW), Pallekele (7 MW) and Vavunathivu (8 MW).

Selected developers will secure a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Sri Lanka’s utility Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). Purchased land or leased land is also required for the project.

Other requirements include the developers meeting the entire cost of the solar PV plant’s grid connection, including power transmission line, transformers, protection and metering equipment, as well as securing all environmental clearances, government approvals and statutory licenses.

Project developers may submit more than one pitch for each substation, with the deadline being November 8.

Sri Lanka recorded 714 MW installed solar PV capacity at the end of 2022, according to the most recent statistics published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).