Construction of commercial-scale battery energy storage systems at 16 power transmission substations across Sri Lanka is nearing completion, with officials projecting the systems could begin supplying the national grid by early September.

Sri Lanka is moving forward with a significant expansion of its energy storage capacity as construction of battery systems at 16 substations approaches completion. The equipment was imported through Colombo Port in three separate shipments during May and June, with the project near Anuradhapura Substation currently at approximately 85% completion, according to officials overseeing the initiative.

Each battery storage facility will have a capacity of 10 megawatts and is designed to store excess electricity generated by solar installations during daylight hours, then discharge that power back into the national grid during evening and nighttime periods as demand dictates. By reducing reliance on diesel-powered generation during off-peak solar hours, the systems are expected to enhance overall grid stability and contribute to cost savings across the electricity network.

The National System Operator Ltd., a state body operating under the Ministry of Energy, will manage and control the battery systems, while ongoing maintenance responsibilities will fall to the companies installing each facility. Officials involved in the projects indicate that electricity storage could commence by the beginning of September. Beyond these 16 substations, procurement efforts are underway to deploy similar battery storage infrastructure at an additional 23 locations nationwide, signaling a broader commitment to distributed energy storage as part of Sri Lanka's renewable energy strategy.