Deputy Minister of Energy Arkam Ilyas told Parliament today that the government has launched a major project to develop infrastructure for electric vehicles by introducing charging points at key public locations.

The initiative, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), comes as Sri Lanka saw a surge of electric vehicles entering the country in 2025, with plans to add 5% of these to the government fleet. 

Pointing out that it was pointless importing such vehicles if they only charge at night, the Deputy Minister underscored the need for daytime charging facilities. 

Charging points are to be established at fuel stations, supermarkets, car parks, office spaces, and hospitals, places where vehicles are typically parked during the day. 

Ilyas said the project aims to bridge gaps in EV charging infrastructure and shift between 100–200 megawatts of peak demand to daytime hours, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. (Newswire)

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Owners of rooftop solar systems with a capacity of 300 kW and above have been requested to disconnect from the national grid during daytime from June 27 to 29, Deputy Minister of Energy Arkam Ilyas told Parliament today.

Addressing the House, Ilyas said that the measures are being taken in view of the Poson Festival and to prevent a possible system collapse.

He said past governments had encouraged solar installations without establishing a proper monitoring mechanism, leaving the grid vulnerable during periods of excess supply. 

“We have around 250 large solar systems operating during the day. On holidays, more than required is supplied. During Vesak season, we had to switch off 120 feeders,” he noted.

The Deputy Minister warned that without monitoring, authorities cannot track how much power is being fed into the grid, raising the risk of a nationwide blackout. 

He revealed that over 2,200 customers currently operate rooftop solar systems above 100 kW.

To address the issue, the Government plans to install modems on such connections, enabling officials to control units and switch them off when necessary. 

Ilyas said the installations are expected to be completed by December this year. (Newswire)

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