Meta Data
Draft: 
No
Revision of previous policy?: 
No
Effective Start Year: 
2019
Scope: 
National
Document Type: 
Overarching Policy, Plan/Strategy
Economic Sector: 
Energy, Power
Energy Types: 
Power, Renewable, Bioenergy, Hydropower, Solar, Wind, Other
Issued by: 
Ministry of Power, Energy and Business Development
Overall Summary: 
The National Energy Policy and Strategies of Sri Lanka (2019) aims to ensure energy security through supplies that are cleaner, secure, economical and reliable, to provide convenient, affordable energy services to support socially equitable development of Sri Lanka. This policy document has three sections: 1) The National Energy Policy, stating the ten pillars of the policy framework. 2) Implementing Strategies, describing the specific strategies to implement the policy. 3) The Results Delivery Framework, elaborating the specific actions, milestones and the institutions responsible.
Access
Energy access priorities: 
Access to electricity using either on-grid or off-grid sources and to modern petroleum products will be ensured to all citizens in the country. [...] Access to reliable, convenient, affordable, equitable and quality energy services will be provided to all citizens to improve their living standards and to engage in gainful economic activities. [...] Energy services will be provided at the optimum long-term cost, to lower the burden on the national economy and to achieve competitiveness of locally produced goods and services in international markets.
Energy access targets: 
Smart meters and pre-paid meters shall be offered on-demand to any customer by mid-2020.
Efficiency
EE priorities: 
Efficient use of energy will be promoted in all sectors and across the energy value chain, engaging both the suppliers and users. [...] The national energy efficiency improvement and conservation programme will be further strengthened engaging all stakeholders in household, industrial and commercial sectors.
EE targets: 
Specific energy use in end-user activities will be reduced by 10% of 2015 level by 2023as part of the national energy efficiency improvement and conservation programme, saving 1,243GWh of grid electricity generation by 2023. Minimum energy performance standards for LEDs and energy labelling for airconditioners, personal computers, refrigerators, ceiling fans, linear fluorescent lamps/ballasts and induction motors will be enforced by mid-2020. Penetration of efficient, low smoke, low soot biomass cook stoves will be increased to 10% of households by 2022.
Renewable Energy
RE priorities: 
Indigenous renewable energy resources will be developed to the optimum level to attain sustainability and a higher degree of resilience in the energy sector. [...] Availability of biomass will be enhanced by establishing dedicated energy plantations or plantations with residue as a potential fuel, in prescribed biomass energy development areas. Commercial availability of biomass and biomass-based fuel products will be encouraged for utilisation in industrial thermal applications and household use. Processed biomass as a fuel source will be facilitated through efficient collection of existing resources, processing, value addition, storage and distribution, and nurturing biomass supply chains.
Environment
Energy environmental priorities: 
A meaningful contribution to climate change will be made by maintaining the low carbon intensity of the Sri Lankan energy sector. Adverse environmental and social impacts of energy services will be minimised to care for the global and local environment. [...] Environmental impacts of energy facilities will be minimised and mitigated using counter balancing interventions such as carbon sequestration plantations. Existing hydropower catchments and land earmarked for future energy infrastructure too will be considered as potential land for such plantations. Impacts to the environment in the context of climate change due to the construction and operation of energy sector facilities will be minimised.
Energy Supply and Infrastructure
Energy supply priorities: 
Indigenous energy resources will be developed to the optimum levels to minimise dependence on imported resources, subject to resolving technical, economic, environmental and social constraints, with the objective of minimising the vulnerability of energy supplies to external situations. [...] Considering the recent price profiles, natural gas would be the next fossil fuel option for the country to broaden diversity.A liquefied natural gas(LNG) terminal of optimum size and technology would be established at the most suitable location. Considering the impact to the country’s energy security, operation of the first terminal and LNG procurement shall be kept under state control.
Energy mix: 
Diversity in energy resources used in electricity generation will be ensured subject to economic, environmental, technological and operational requirements. [...] Percentage installed power generation capacity from a single imported fuel shall not exceed 50% of the total installed firm capacity to safeguard against geopolitical uncertainties and fuel price shocks. [...] Oil and natural gas resources of the country will be explored. Commercial scale exploitation will be strategically phased, giving due consideration to higher future value and possible use in the future as a locally available fuel source to derive cleaner futuristic energy sources such as hydrogen.
Infrastructure development priorities: 
Strategic locations for establishing energy facilities and corridors which inter connect such facilities will be earmarked and secured in advance to ensure timely implementation of such facilities and to minimise adverse social impacts. [...] Power plants identified in the Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan will be implemented as scheduled.
Governance
Energy management principles: 
Governance of the energy sector to be strengthened to realise accountability, fairness and transparency to achieve investor and consumer confidence. A stable policy environment will be ensured, and the regulatory framework will be further strengthened to assure good governance in the energy sector. [...] All sub sectors in the energy industry will be brought under respective regulatory framework. Procurement of plant, equipment, crude oil and other fuels, as well as power purchase agreements and similar concessions, will be made through a streamlined competitive bidding scheme ensuring transparency, accountability and avoiding long term delays.
Technology
Clean energy technology priorities: 
Considering the limitation to the scale of markets available in Sri Lanka to breed technology intensive local businesses, the relatively large size of the energy sector will be utilised to nurture local entrepreneurship and innovation.