Minister of Energy Eng. Kumara Jayakody states at the opening ceremony of the “10 MW
Suryashakthi Solar Power Plant” in Vavunathivu, Batticaloa.
“As a country located near the equator, we receive abundant sunlight almost every day of the
year. As a government, we are committed to achieve our country’s energy goals by making the
maximum out of this nature’s blessing. Given the importance of sunlight as a renewable and
green energy source and the significant contribution it can make, we will continue to work for the
growth of the solar energy sector, especially we aim to encourage local investors to invest in this
sector,” said Energy Minister Eng. Kumara Jayakody, joining the official opening ceremony of
the 10 MW Suryashakthi Solar Power Plant, held recently (26) in Vavunathivu, Batticaloa
District.
The Minister further expressed his appreciation with regard to the donation of televisions, musical
instruments, sports equipment and solar street lights to the people of this remote area, and also he
made a special request to the authorities to provide opportunities and relevant assistance for the
youth of this area to have trainings in the solar energy industry, which is rapidly growing as well
as offer many employment opportunities both locally and internationally. (It should be mentioned
that the Governing Authority accepted this request and agreed to provide such training to 20
young individuals.)
Built on a 27-acre plot in Vavunathivu, Batticaloa District, this solar power plant is the first ever
solar project to be constructed using precast pile structures, with an investment of Rs. 2.2 billion
by Sri Lankan companies, namely Wind Force PLC and Vidullanka,
It is significant that its construction was carried with a special consideration of the environmental
conditions, as the area is located near the lagoon, has a low agricultural potential and is prone to
periodic flooding.
NPP's Batticaloa District Parliamentarian Kandasamy Prabhu, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka
Sustainable Energy Authority T.M.W.J. Bandara; Deputy Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity
Board Prof. Saliya Jayasekara, Acting General Manager of the Ceylon Electricity Board Eng.
Wasantha Edussuriya, Vice Chairman of Wind Force PLC Asga Akbar Ali, Managing Director of
Vidullanka Riyaz Sangani, Managing Director of Wind Force PLC Manjula Perera, and Deputy
General Manager of Seylan Bank Ramesh Jayasekara, and some other officials participated in this
event.