News
Expert urges govt. to ensure that at least transport sector uses renewable energy
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Sri Lanka needs to establish fast charging stations to promote the use of electric vehicles, Engineer K.M.YS. Konara, senior lecturer at the department of electrical and information engineering at the University of Ruhuna said.
“When we consider long trips, we don’t consider electric vehicles because of problems with charging. If we can have fast charging stations, this becomes a non-issue. If we use slow charging (AC on board charging – level 01 – 120v, 1.4 kW) it will take about 1, 332 minutes to charge an electric vehicle to go 200 kilometres. But it only takes 4.7 minutes if we use ultrafast charging (800V, 400kW),” he said.
Surveys have shown that motorists only like to spend about 15 minutes charging their vehicles, from 20 percent to 80 percent, during long trips, he said. If charging takes longer than that, they prefer not to use their electric vehicle, Konara said.
“Fast charging stations are not recommended to be connected to low voltage grids. They must be connected to medium-voltage grids. The widespread deployment of fast charging stations also adds some stress to the grid. When we establish a large number of fast charging stations, it exerts a lot of stress on the power grid because EV charging is an extra load. This might lead to some issues with network capacity, power system stability and power quality. A DC fast charging station is a power electronic based microgrid, and whenever you have these microgrids, there will be issues like voltage fluctuations, especially drops. Then it’s linked to power grid stability problems and power quality issues. These are well known problems,” he said.
Dr. Konara added that a country needs to reinforce the existing grid to accommodate fast charging stations.
“We need to find the optimal setting and size for fast charging stations to maximize profits, minimize the impact on the power grid and energy market, and provide a quality service to electric vehicle users,” he said.
Commenting on the drive for renewables, he said Sri Lanka can achieve 80 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources.
“This has been achieved in other countries, and if we can’t get our transport sector to run on renewable energy, we are in trouble,” he said.
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 01 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 11 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan of Kareinagar, Jaffna.
The Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the Northern Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Kovilan.
Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of one Indian fishing boat and apprehension of 11 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (11) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Latest News
Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.
The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.
Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.
According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.
Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.
The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.
In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.
The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.
The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.
Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.
By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️
Two people killed in magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Mexico
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US Coast Guard suspends search for survivors of Pacific boat strike
Venezuela’s capital hit by explosions, Caracas blames the US
Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
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