Hayleys Solar has inaugurated its 3MW Veyangoda ground-mounted solar installation, the first phase of a planned 300MW renewable energy portfolio. The project incorporates climate-resilient engineering and agrivoltaic design to enable dual use of land for both energy generation and agriculture.
Hayleys Solar commissioned its 3MW Veyangoda ground-mounted solar facility in the presence of Energy Minister Anura Karunathilake, marking the opening installation under the company's broader 300MW ground-mounted solar rollout programme across Sri Lanka. The project is operated by Hayleys Fentons Limited, part of the Hayleys Group conglomerate.
The facility comprises 4,143.36 kWp of DC capacity and features 640W bifacial solar panels. According to the company, the installation is projected to generate approximately 6.35 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, sufficient to supply approximately 2,700 households, while offsetting an estimated 4,339.53 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions yearly.
The Veyangoda site, located adjacent to the Aththanagalla Oya waterway, presented environmental challenges including flood risk during heavy rainfall. Hayleys Solar addressed these through elevated mounting structures with 2.7 metres of ground clearance, elevated inverter supports, and customised cable routing. The design was informed by historical flood data obtained from Sri Lanka's Irrigation Department. This elevated configuration also enables secondary land use through an agrivoltaic initiative, permitting cultivation of vegetables including Scotch bonnet pepper and brinjal beneath the solar arrays, thereby combining energy generation with agricultural production.
Minister Karunathilake emphasised the importance of private sector participation in Sri Lanka's energy transition, characterising projects such as Veyangoda as demonstrations of climate-resilient renewable infrastructure. Company leadership stated the project reflects commitment to developing environmentally responsive solutions that maximise value from available land through integrated design.