Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-11-15

Making Use of the Mahaweli Economic Zones for the Development of Renewable Energy

- As a Member State of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climatic Change (UNFCCC), Sri Lanka is committed to minimizing the emission of Green House Gasses. The energy sector plays a major role in minimizing the emission of Green House Gasses and in this context, the Government has recognized the need to develop wind power, hydro power and solar power energy instead of resorting to thermal power stations of diesel and coal. Accordingly, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to identify the lands, reservoirs and water sources which cannot be utilized for agriculture in the Mahaweli Economic Zones belonging to the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority and to grant approval as a matter of policy to establish floating solar power production units, including power stations using all renewable eco-friendly energy sources and also to appoint an Officials' Committee to propose a suitable mechanism in this regard, was approved by the Cabinet.