The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has announced that it is making significant progress toward launching the Maha Oya Pumped Storage Hydropower Project, the country’s first-ever “Water Battery.” 

Issuing a statement, the CEB said this groundbreaking 600 MW project will store excess renewable energy from solar and wind sources, ensuring grid stability and supporting Sri Lanka’s goal of generating 70% of electricity from renewables by 2030. 

The project, located in Aranayake and Nawalapitiya, will feature two reservoirs connected by a 2.5 km tunnel, operating as a large-scale energy storage system. 

By reducing dependence on fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions, the project will play a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s transition to sustainable energy. 

The CEB further said that at a recent meeting, international development partners were introduced to the project’s financial roadmap and that it aims to secure long-term funding from international agencies to minimize impacts on electricity tariffs while ensuring affordability for consumers. 

The Maha Oya project represents a major step toward energy independence, grid support for the absorption of renewable energy, fostering economic growth, job creation, and environmental sustainability. 

The CEB invited all stakeholders to support this initiative and drive Sri Lanka toward a greener, more resilient energy future. (Newswire/ File pic)

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Nepal on Sunday decided to allow India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited to develop a second hydropower project in the country.

At present SJVN is developing a 900-MW Arun -III hydroelectric project, a run-of-river located on the Arun River in Eastern Nepal, scheduled to be completed in 2024.

A meeting of the Investment Board Nepal (IBN) chaired by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” approved the draft project development agreement (PDA) to be signed with India’s state-owned SJVN to develop the 669-megawatt (MW) Lower Arun Hydropower project in eastern Nepal, an official statement said.

The development comes days before Prime Minister Prachanda’s visit to India starting Wednesday.

The draft needs to be endorsed by the Council of Ministers before it gets implemented.

The previous meeting of the IBN had approved ₹ 92.68 billion investment for the development of the project.

“The development of this 669-MW transformative project will prove to be a milestone for the socio-economic development of the country,” according to the statement by the IBN.

The SJVN has formed a local company, Lower Arun Power Development Company, in Nepal.

The Lower Arun project located in the Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur districts will not have any reservoir or dam and will be a tailrace development of Arun-III, which will mean water re-enters the river for the Lower Arun project.

This is the third project undertaken, all through negotiation windows, on the Arun River after the 900 MW Arun-III and 695 MW Arun-IV hydroelectricity projects.

The three projects will generate nearly 2,300 MW of electricity from the river in the Sankhuwasabha district, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported. (NDTV)

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