Latest news with #KumaraJayakody
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Sri Lanka inks solar partnership with ISA; regional push for SIDS platform, decentralised solutions
New Delhi: The International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Government of Sri Lanka signed a Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to accelerate solar deployment, financing and institutional capacity-building in the country, as part of the Seventh Regional Committee Meeting for Asia and the Pacific. The CPF was exchanged in the presence of Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya, between Minister of Energy Kumara Jayakody and ISA Director General Ashish Khanna. The Colombo meeting also saw CPF exchanges with Fiji, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands. In addition, a Pledge of Support for the ISA Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Platform was adopted by participating island countries, reaffirming collective action on decentralised solar and storage-based energy solutions. 'Sri Lanka supports ISA's four strategic pillars and is working to establish a STAR Centre in Colombo as a regional hub for solar training and research ,' Prime Minister Amarasuriya said in her address. She called for deeper regional collaboration and a focused approach for SIDS and lower-middle-income countries. 'These countries face high costs, limited land, and grid constraints—but also immense potential in decentralised solar and storage-based solutions,' she said. Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said, 'Our national goal is to achieve 70 per cent renewable energy in electricity generation by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Solar energy is central to this vision. The Platform will help Small Island Developing States benefit from economies of scale, reduced transaction costs through competitive bidding, and enhanced knowledge exchange.' ISA Director General Ashish Khanna said the Asia-Pacific region plays a key role in shaping the global solar energy landscape. 'ISA's approach in the region is anchored in four key pillars: mobilising catalytic finance, strengthening institutional capacities, fostering regional platforms, and enabling innovation and technology deployment. We are committed to working in close partnership with each Member State,' he said. India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, said, 'India's energy transition journey—marked by achieving 50 per cent installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources five years ahead of schedule—demonstrates what collective ambition and decisive action can achieve. Through ISA, we have the opportunity to light up not just homes, but futures.' The ISA SIDS Platform, jointly developed with the World Bank, aims to accelerate inclusive, climate-resilient energy access across island nations. An MoU was also signed between ISA and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) to advance solar cooperation in mountainous regions. The meeting featured sessions on digital energy solutions, cross-border renewables trade and startup innovation under the SolarX APAC pitch competition. The two-day meeting, hosted in Colombo, continues on July 17 with discussions on operationalising the SIDS Platform and scaling technology-driven interventions.
CNN
14-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Monkey blamed for nationwide blackout as Sri Lanka scrambles to restore power
Sri Lanka extended power cuts for a third day on Thursday as it scrambled to restore its national grid to full capacity after a monkey triggered a widespread blackout over the weekend that disrupted supply to the island's 22 million people. An outage lasting six hours on Sunday was blamed by power minister, Kumara Jayakody, on a monkey that disrupted a grid station in a Colombo suburb. No power cuts were implemented on Wednesday, which was a holiday in Sri Lanka. The animal had come into contact with the transformer at the station, disrupting supply to the entire country. There were no immediate details on whether the monkey survived the incident. One-hour power cuts will be implemented from 6 p.m. (12:30 GMT), the island's state-run power monopoly, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), said in a statement. Sunday's disruption also affected the island's only 900 MW coal fired power plant, causing it to operate in safe mode, the CEB said. 'All efforts are being made to restore the grid to full capacity but power cuts will be implemented to manage peak demand hours in the night,' the CEB statement added. Ninety-minute power cuts were implemented on Monday and Tuesday to manage demand. An investigation into the outage was being conducted by the energy ministry.
CNN
14-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Monkey blamed for nationwide blackout as Sri Lanka scrambles to restore power
Sri Lanka extended power cuts for a third day on Thursday as it scrambled to restore its national grid to full capacity after a monkey triggered a widespread blackout over the weekend that disrupted supply to the island's 22 million people. An outage lasting six hours on Sunday was blamed by power minister, Kumara Jayakody, on a monkey that disrupted a grid station in a Colombo suburb. No power cuts were implemented on Wednesday, which was a holiday in Sri Lanka. The animal had come into contact with the transformer at the station, disrupting supply to the entire country. There were no immediate details on whether the monkey survived the incident. One-hour power cuts will be implemented from 6 p.m. (12:30 GMT), the island's state-run power monopoly, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), said in a statement. Sunday's disruption also affected the island's only 900 MW coal fired power plant, causing it to operate in safe mode, the CEB said. 'All efforts are being made to restore the grid to full capacity but power cuts will be implemented to manage peak demand hours in the night,' the CEB statement added. Ninety-minute power cuts were implemented on Monday and Tuesday to manage demand. An investigation into the outage was being conducted by the energy ministry.
CNN
14-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Monkey blamed for nationwide blackout as Sri Lanka scrambles to restore power
Sri Lanka extended power cuts for a third day on Thursday as it scrambled to restore its national grid to full capacity after a monkey triggered a widespread blackout over the weekend that disrupted supply to the island's 22 million people. An outage lasting six hours on Sunday was blamed by power minister, Kumara Jayakody, on a monkey that disrupted a grid station in a Colombo suburb. No power cuts were implemented on Wednesday, which was a holiday in Sri Lanka. The animal had come into contact with the transformer at the station, disrupting supply to the entire country. There were no immediate details on whether the monkey survived the incident. One-hour power cuts will be implemented from 6 p.m. (12:30 GMT), the island's state-run power monopoly, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), said in a statement. Sunday's disruption also affected the island's only 900 MW coal fired power plant, causing it to operate in safe mode, the CEB said. 'All efforts are being made to restore the grid to full capacity but power cuts will be implemented to manage peak demand hours in the night,' the CEB statement added. Ninety-minute power cuts were implemented on Monday and Tuesday to manage demand. An investigation into the outage was being conducted by the energy ministry.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sri Lanka scrambles to restore power after monkey causes islandwide outage
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka extended power cuts for a third day on Thursday as it scrambled to restore its national grid to full capacity after a monkey triggered a widespread blackout over the weekend that disrupted supply to the island's 22 million people. An outage lasting six hours on Sunday was blamed by power minister, Kumara Jayakody, on a monkey that disrupted a grid station in a Colombo suburb. No power cuts were implemented on Wednesday, which was a holiday in Sri Lanka. The animal had come into contact with the transformer at the station, disrupting supply to the entire country. There were no immediate details on whether the monkey survived the incident. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. One-hour power cuts will be implemented from 6 p.m. (1230 GMT), the island's state-run power monopoly, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), said in a statement. Sunday's disruption also affected the island's only 900 MW coal fired power plant, causing it to operate in safe mode, the CEB said. "All efforts are being made to restore the grid to full capacity but power cuts will be implemented to manage peak demand hours in the night," the CEB statement added. Ninety-minute power cuts were implemented on Monday and Tuesday to manage demand. An investigation into the outage was being conducted by the energy ministry.
