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England completed their home summer with a 2-1 ODI series win over Sri Lanka at the Oval and presented their white ball coach Brendon McCullum with a nice birthday present on his 45th birthday yesterday.

The target of 356 was always going to be a tough chase and Sri Lanka never got started with the bat. Pathum Nissanka fell early to a superb delivery from Sonny Baker found the outside edge, Kamindu Mendis got a big leading edge on the flick and Kusal Mendis then miscued a pull to mid-wicket. The damage was done with the new ball, and the middle-order caved in rather timidly. The only concern for England was the possibility of rain, but they brought in spin and ensured that a minimum of 20 overs were bowled.

None of the Sri Lankan batters showed any application or partnerships of note and they were eventually bundled out for a meagre 132, losing by a whopping margin of 223 runs. Liam Dawson collected three wickets – his best in this format and Gus Atkinson took two.

It was a comprehensive way to wrap things up and the win was England’s fifth biggest winning margin by runs and their eleventh victory out of 13 for Harry Brook’s white ball side this home season. It was also England’s fifth consecutive bilateral ODI series win over Sri Lanka.

Winning the toss and batting first England posted an imposing score of 355-7 on a pitch that had something in it for the bowlers. There was movement and some variable bounce early on, after which the spinners came into play as the innings progressed, with both Dunith Wellalage and Sachindu Colombage finding a fair amount of turn.

England were led by the big 150-run stand off 117 balls between Brook and Tom Banton. Replacing the injured Bethell at the top of the order in this series, Banton grabbed his opportunity with both hands in the series. 70-odd in the previous game, and yesterday a maiden ODI century – 126 off 105 balls (16 fours, 5 sixes). Brook got a good score as well after missing out in the previous game – 77 off 66 balls (9 fours, 2 sixes). Jordan Cox replacing the injured Jos Buttler provided the finishing touches to the innings with a quickfire 76 off 52 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes). Sri Lanka were taken apart in the final 10 overs which went for 104.

Banton was Player of the Match and Will Jacks the Player of the Series.

EFL Projects Logistics has completed the transportation and final placement of 12 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and transformer containers at a project site within the Matara Mucharinda Temple premises, managing the operation from the Port of Colombo to the final location.

The operation ran continuously over three days and three nights, despite difficult road conditions, restricted site access, and significant heavy-lifting requirements. High-capacity mobile cranes, configured for a 60-foot operating radius and requiring about 15 feet of vertical clearance, were deployed alongside specialised heavy-haulage equipment.

The route included narrow access roads, restricted turning radii, difficult junctions, low-clearance overhead structures, and residential boundary constraints, while access to the final project location was limited. To move the equipment safely, the EFL team temporarily modified or removed obstructions at key junctions and along access roads, and temporarily removed sections of residential boundary walls, street name boards, road signs, and other roadside signage. Overgrown branches and other encroachments were cleared along the final 1.5 km access route, and low-level electrical and telecommunication cables were managed to provide the required vertical clearance.

The task also included conducting route surveys, turning-radius assessments and detailed lifting and crane operation planning. It obtained the necessary permits and clearances, arranged police escorts, and maintained coordination with the project team, government authorities, residents and other stakeholders throughout.

With the Matara project complete, EFL Projects Logistics has now handled two of the most challenging BESS project sites identified in Sri Lanka, managing the full logistics chain from the Port of Colombo to final placement. According to the team, transporting BESS equipment goes beyond conventional haulage, requiring route engineering, heavy-haul transportation, crane mobilisation, site preparation, regulatory approvals, traffic management and final equipment placement.

EFL Projects Logistics said it works closely with project developers, EPC contractors, equipment suppliers, and other stakeholders to identify challenges early and execute operations safely and with minimal disruption. With Sri Lanka’s BESS and renewable energy sector continuing to expand, the EFL Project Logistics says it is ready to support upcoming BESS, solar, wind and other renewable energy projects across the country.

Six project companies of renewable energy developer WindForce PLC have submitted winning bids to add a combined 28 MW/144 MWh of battery storage to their existing solar plants. WindForce’s equity investment is estimated at about Rs. 944 million.

WindForce said the bid prices fell within the winning bid threshold. The companies bid under a call for proposals to establish 150 MW/600 MWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), meaning large batteries that store electricity for release later.

The systems are to be integrated with existing ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) plants and developed on a Build, Own and Operate (BOO) basis for 15 years.

The MW figure is the maximum power the batteries can deliver at any moment, and the MWh figure is the total energy they can store. The six projects together total 28.25 MW/143.75 MWh, equivalent to 24% of the energy storage capacity sought under the tender.

Five of the companies were allocated 4.9 MW/25 MWh each: Solar Universe Ltd., 50% owned by WindForce; Sooryashakthi Ltd., 50%; Solar One Ceylon Ltd., 50%; Kebitigollewa Solar Power Ltd., 88.5%; and Vydexa Ltd., 76.13%. Wholly owned Diya Janani Ltd., was allocated 3.75 MW/18.75 MWh. Based on those stakes, WindForce’s proportionate share is about 19.2 MW/97.4 MWh.

Solar Universe and Sooryashakthi are also 50% owned by Vidullanka PLC.

‘While the formal award of the projects is still pending, the Board of Directors considers this development to be price-sensitive information, given its relevance to the company’s future operations, potential project portfolio expansion, and long-term financial outlook,’ WindForce said.

The company said it would make further disclosures when the formal awards are received, the relevant agreements are signed, or other material developments occur in the tender. It added that the bidding outcome remains subject to the final award process, regulatory approvals, and the signing of agreements, and should not be taken as confirmation of the contract awards.

A proposal for a fuel subsidy of Rs. 41 billion covering the next three months will be presented to Cabinet today (28), with a decision expected, as world oil prices climb again following a renewed escalation of the US/Israel-Iran war.

The Government said Rs. 41 billion had been allocated for fuel subsidies for the next three months so that the burden of high world market prices would not be passed fully on to the public.

The new allocation is smaller than the previous scheme. After the prices of all petroleum products rose rapidly in March, the Government said it spent Rs. 57 billion subsidising diesel by Rs. 100 a litre and petrol by Rs. 20 a litre in April, May, and June. The Rs. 41 billion works out to about Rs. 13.7 billion a month, compared with about Rs. 19 billion a month under the earlier subsidy.

According to the Government, the world market price of diesel, which rose 115% in March compared with February, eased to 39% above February levels by the end of June. That relief was passed on to consumers in July, when the diesel price was cut by Rs. 25 a litre without a Government subsidy. World petrol prices, which rose 71% in March, fell back to 43.2% above February levels by the end of June, and the relief was likewise passed on. Domestic petrol prices were cut again as world prices fell further in July and August.

However, the Government said world prices of petrol, diesel, and crude oil had risen rapidly since August as the war in the Middle East escalated seriously. Diesel is now 92% higher than in February, petrol 78%, and Murban crude 66%, while domestic petrol and diesel prices are only 36.2% and 35.9% higher, respectively, it said.

Price data reviewed by the Daily FT show the same trend. The average Singapore price of 92-Octane Petrol for September to date is $ 134.50 a barrel, 21.3% higher than August, 78.7% above February’s pre-war average of $ 75.28, and the highest monthly average this year. Singapore prices are ‘free on board’ (FOB), meaning they reflect the cost of fuel loaded onto a tanker, before freight, and are a regional benchmark for fuel import costs. A barrel is about 159 litres.

Diesel benchmarks show a similar gap. Gas oil with 500 parts per million (ppm) sulphur averaged $ 170.99 a barrel in September, up 10.9% from August and 92.5% above February. Higher-grade 10 ppm gas oil averaged $ 178.48, 98, 5% above February. Jet fuel was up 90.2% at $ 169.32.

Local pump prices have risen far less. Following the last revision on 31 August, Lanka Petrol 92 Octane sells at Rs. 399 a litre, 36.2% above the pre-war price of Rs. 293. Lanka Petrol 95 Octane is Rs. 475, up 39.7% from Rs. 340. Lanka Auto Diesel is Rs. 382, up 35.9% from Rs. 281. Lanka Super Diesel is Rs. 478, 45.3% higher than Rs. 329.

The 31 August revision cut Petrol 92 to Rs. 399 from Rs. 414, and Petrol 95 to Rs. 475 from Rs. 495, while diesel prices were unchanged. Since then, Singapore petrol benchmarks have risen by more than a fifth.

Pump prices were raised in several steps after the war began, with increases of 7% to 8% on 10 March, a second round on 22 March, and further hikes on 3 May and 31 May. The 31 May revision took Petrol 92 to its peak of Rs. 434 a litre, 48.1% above pre-war levels, and Auto Diesel to Rs. 407, up 44.8%. The 30 June revision cut Auto Diesel by Rs. 25 to Rs. 382 and Petrol 92 by Rs. 20 to Rs. 414.

Benchmark prices peaked earlier. Singapore gas oil and jet fuel more than doubled in March and April, with 500 ppm gas oil averaging $ 191.73 a barrel in March, 115.8% above February. They fell back to about 40% above pre-war levels in June, before rising again from July.

Drug shortages in public hospitals in Sri Lanka has been an endemic problem for decades and the reasons for this are many and varied. Political interference, bureaucratic ineptness, funding shortages, policy issues, structural issues, private interests of medical practitioners in Government service, the lobbying and marketing practices of the pharmacy industry, and more, have all contributed to a greater or lesser degree to these shortages from time to time.

This article attempts to outline a conceptual framework to address this vexed issue. It is a framework that looks ahead rather than looking back to addressing issues on a piecemeal basis, as has happened time and again, and unsuccessfully as reports seem to indicate. The discussion is about a mindset change that is needed to address this issue as previous attempts have had limited and inconsistent results. The mindset change requires readers to consider options outside the ‘box’ so to speak, and think laterally as to how best drug shortages may be addressed. In order to address this long-standing issue, this article proposes the establishment of a

Peak Drug Demand Estimation Secretariat (PDDES)

Peak Procurement Secretariat (PPS) and Transformation of the role of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation

At a very fundamental level, there are obviously two sides that contribute to shortages or even excesses of drugs, and that is the supply side. And the demand side. Ideally, if everything worked well, supply would equal demand and there should not be shortages or excess supply.

Broadly, the supply side usually depends on efficiency while the demand side depends on effectiveness. This is not to say that both sides need to be efficient and effective, but looking at a hypothetical situation, a very fundamental difference can be elaborated. Say if the demand has been estimated as 100 units and a very efficient supply operation delivers the 100 units exactly on time, at the right quality, quality and at the right place, but if the estimated demand had not been computed accurately, and either its more than 100 units or less than 100 units, then the efficiency of the supply operation becomes irrelevant to the desired outcome as either there will be a shortage or an excess supply. The effectiveness of the demand estimate is what matters then, and based on this very simple premise, effective computation of demand takes precedence over an efficient supply operation, although the latter is also a very important component of the supply chain.

This concept is framed around what perhaps can and should be done to address drug shortages. It is not a simplistic approach, and it will require a major shift in thinking and attitudes. Considering the precedence of demand computation over supply operations, possible approaches to make demand more effective are discussed first.

Sri Lanka spends around Rs. 141 to Rs. 164 billion (at today’s exchange rate) for importation of drugs intended for the public sector via the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation and around Rs. 25 billion via the State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation. It has approximately 1300 distinct items on its drug list. Accurate estimation of demand for these is not an easy task. Demand may be computed using usage data and also past purchases. Both pose a problem as usage data may be understated or overstated and past purchases done using such data would be inaccurate. In all instances, using morbidity data, derived from patient categorisation or classification that is done as a routine in all hospitals on a daily basis, and medicine prescribed and issued to them would be data verification information that can and should be used to substantiate data derived from other routine methods. It is also understood that based on information sourced directly from some patients, there is a practice to over prescribe drugs to a patient if that patient mentions another ailment in addition to the ailment he or she has for which a routine monthly or bimonthly clinic is attended by that patient, rather than being investigated and a diagnosis made first. A particular patient mentioned that he takes 15 different medicines every night.

Depending on how widespread this practice is, it could affect demand very substantially and result in drug shortages as some of this would be unforeseen or unplanned demand on some drugs. Drug shortages may also be reported as shortages when doctors prescribe drugs that are not stored in some or all public hospitals and which have to be sourced from private pharmacies. The above-mentioned factors and others not noted here indicate the complexity of demand estimation, and the difficulty in making accurate estimations.

It also shows that the process relating to demand estimation involves many players and internal and external factors and the need to consider a very specialised task that requires greater expertise, and the use of today’s technology that is evolving very rapidly.

In respect of the supply side of the equation, procurement management plays a major part in the supply chain, and two radical proposals are made below in respect of demand estimation and procurement management. In order to address both sides of the equation, the following are suggested.

Establishment of a Peak Drug Demand Estimation Secretariat (PDDES)

It is suggested that the Health Minister considers establishing a high level expert entity within the department of health to undertake the task of drug demand estimation, and for such an entity be supported by local and international expertise, to map out, develop necessary policy and procedural requirements, use of appropriate technology, carry out the task of demand estimation, and monitor actual usage against the demand estimates so that timely action may be taken if supply shortfalls are foreseen. Such an entity is termed as the Peak Drug Demand Estimation Secretariat (PDDES) to reflect its critical nature as the peak body responsible for the task of drug estimation. If this body is to perform their tasks efficiently, effectively and deliver the desired results, it needs complete authority to make decisions pertaining to processes relating to drug estimation.

What is suggested is not another bureaucratic entity filled with staff, but an entity that relies on technology as a tool to undertake this staff. Development of appropriate artificial intelligence algorithms and digitalisation of information collection, flow and analysis would be an essential component of the proposed entity. In order to prioritise and plan the roll out of a strategy to achieve the desired outcomes, the VEN classification (Very essential, essential and non-essential) categorisation of drugs could be used to introduce the proposed demand estimation process in a staged manner.

Establishment of a Peak Procurement Secretariat (PPS)

Presently, the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) is understood to be the entity that undertakes procurement imports on behalf of the public sector in Sri Lanka. These procurements are based on demand estimates submitted by the State Medical Stores. Various reports indicate issues associated with the procurement process, such as tender process delays, and funding shortfalls and delays. Besides the procurement process, the SPC is also responsible for importing drugs for the private market, a role they share with private sector importers, and the logistics process of consignment clearance and delivery to the State Medical Stores, and the storage of drugs for the private market (via private pharmacies) and distribution of drugs to the State run Rajya Osu Sala’s, or State retail outlets. Leaving the logistics side of the SPC mandate aside, it appears that the procurement process is yet another operational responsibility of the SPC carried out without a strategic vision or more modern approaches relating to best practice. In order to achieve this objective, it is suggested that an independent State entity is established outside the SPC, and as an independently managed entity, to undertake the procurement process. Hence the setting up of a Peak Procurement Secretariat (PPS).

Current tender procedures for importation of drugs are long and require a lengthy lead time from planning the importation to actual receipt of quality assured drugs in the warehouses of the State Medical Stores or SPC’s own warehouses. It is estimated that this period is around 9 months if not more. A long lead time immediately translates to carrying more stock physically to meet the demand for the drugs until new stocks arrive and also involves carrying buffer stock to meet potential shortfalls in supply due to delays. Typically, if a three-month buffer is added to the stock needed to cater to the lead time of 9 months, the total stock held equates to 12 months stock. In a situation where demand estimates have not been accurate as one anticipated, stock outs for varying periods become inevitable consequences.

Until Sri Lanka becomes more self-sufficient in locally manufactured drugs by the State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC) and private sector manufacturers, the dependency on imports (around 85% of the requirements) will continue for the foreseeable future, and strategies for improved procurement will have to consider a range of options. It is felt that examining these options should be the task of the proposed body which should have the expertise to do so, supported by local and international technical assistance.

Some strategies that should all be carried out through a competitive and open process,

Establishment of long-term contracts for a select number of drugs with manufacturers where the initial lead time could be reduced from nine months, and where the overall lead time could be reduced by establishing contracts for periods up to 3 to 4 years.

Once contracts are established, the lead time is restricted to the time span for actual shipment by an overseas manufacturer over the contract period of 3 to 4 years.

Establishment of Period contracts for a select number of drugs where prices, and one or more suppliers, are established for a range of drugs for a period of 3 years, where the PPS could place purchase orders as and when needed with suppliers on period contracts and at the prices noted in such contracts.

Over time, when hospital budgeting is devolved and allocations are provided to them to purchase drugs, they could be given the authority to purchase all or some of their requirements from suppliers in the period contracts and at the prices noted in the contracts. This is a longer-term proposition, and it could be discussed and appropriate policy submissions made to the Minister for Health by the PPS.

The expertise and the independence of the Peak Procurement Secretariat will facilitate the development and execution of the above mentioned strategies and other appropriate ones that would improve the supply side of the equation by introducing more certainty to the procurement process, reduction of the lead time, reduction of stock holdings and ability to respond quicker to unforeseen/unplanned changes to demand estimates, and importantly, be able to respond more expeditiously to potential stock out situations.

Role of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation

The above-mentioned change to the procurement process will necessarily impact on the SPC as they will not be responsible for this process any longer. It is suggested that their role is transformed into a logistics operation where they undertake the clearance of cargo, warehousing (for the private sector) and distribution to the Rajya Osu Sala’s. The State Pharmaceuticals Corporation was established in 1972 when technology was different and consequent to the policy position of the then Government. Circumstances are different today and technology has moved a considerable distance from that time. While the procurement strategies suggested do not take away one of the key principles associated with the SPC, that is, ensuring the best and lowest prices are obtained through an open and competitive process, it ensures the public sector gets the best and lowest price for drugs, and it takes note of today’s reality that the private sector is a partner in the drug supply industry of the country, and they are also subject to maximum prices set by the Ministry of Health for some drugs. In order to provide a choice to the public, whether they should buy from a Rajya Osu Sala or a private pharmacy, it is suggested that more Rajya Osu Sala’s are opened throughout the country in addition to the existing number which is reported as 43 outlets.

Conclusion

The task of accurate drug demand estimation is not an easy task in more than 1,500 public healthcare institutions and in local clinics, regional storage facilities, and individual dispensaries, managing drug stocks across over 2,900 locations countrywide. These include large national hospitals, teaching hospitals, and specialised institutes (e.g., Apeksha Cancer Hospital or Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital), Provincial General Hospitals, District General Hospitals, and Base Hospitals, hundreds of smaller Divisional Hospitals and Peripheral Units scattered across rural sectors. primary and preventive Healthcare Facilities like smaller village-level clinics that stock essential everyday medicines for outpatient care, and MOH Offices that stock specialised preventive medicines, maternal healthcare supplies, and national immunisation program vaccines. Besides these, the planned Arogya Health facilities, 1000 of them over 3 years, will add a further complexity to the already difficult demand estimation process.

Accurate and appropriate demand estimation is very complex, but paramount in a centralised drug supply situation dependent on imports, and this has to be managed with limited funds available to the State. Appropriateness of the demand becomes very important here and the use of up-to-date patient treatment guidelines to standardise the diagnosis and prescription of drugs and linking this to patient (or morbidity) information is vital to compute demand estimates.

The specialised entities suggested for demand estimation and procurement should be options that need consideration as strategies to address drug shortages. Long term contracts and period contracts are not new phenomena as they are in practice in several countries. Besides improving the procurement process, they also help manufacturers as they have certainty of purchases by the buyers for the period of the contract. This leads to better and consistent pricing as well. The challenge now is to see how many will be willing to look at things as they never were, and ask why not?

Four project companies in which renewable energy firm Vidullanka PLC holds stakes have submitted winning bids to add battery energy storage to their existing solar power plants. Vidullanka’s share of the equity investment is estimated at about Rs. 600 million.

Vidullanka said the bids fell within the winning threshold in a competitive tender for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). BESS are large batteries that store electricity for release later. The systems will be integrated with existing ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) plants and developed on a Build, Own and Operate (BOO) basis for 15 years.

The four projects have a combined capacity of 18.7 MW and 93 MWh. The MW figure is the maximum power the batteries can deliver at any moment, and the MWh figure is the total energy they can store.

Solar Universe Ltd., Sooryashakthi Ltd., and DPV Solar Energy Ltd., each 50% owned by Vidullanka, were allocated 4.9 MW/25 MWh apiece. Wholly owned VidulSolar Ltd., which operates the Madampe solar plant, was allocated 4 MW/18 MWh. Based on those stakes, Vidullanka’s proportionate share is about 11.4 MW/55.5 MWh.

The company said its estimated Rs. 600 million equity share for developing and building the four projects could change depending on the final capital structure and cost refinements. It will be funded mainly from cash generated by the solar projects and any progressive capital allocations, alongside debt financing at the level of each project company.

Adding battery storage to the operating solar plants will improve the transfer of solar power to the grid and reduce curtailment, meaning cuts in output when the grid cannot absorb all the power generated. It will also help stabilise the grid over the 15-year power purchase period.

The awards are not yet final. They still require formal Letters of Award (LOAs), regulatory approvals, and definitive agreements with the relevant authorities, including supplementary agreements to the existing power purchase agreements. The company said the announcement should not be read as final confirmation of contract awards.

The company considers this development to be price-sensitive information relevant to its future operational expansion and financial outlook, Vidullanka said, adding that it would make further disclosures once LOAs are received and final contracts signed.

Sunshine Medical Devices (SMD) has partnered with the Sri Lanka Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (SLAPRAS) to support Sri Lanka’s first national suturing competition for undergraduate medical students, reinforcing its commitment to developing the country’s future healthcare workforce through education, clinical excellence and industry collaboration.

The Master of Precision Suturing Championship brought together fourth-year medical students from 11 medical faculties across Sri Lanka, creating a national platform to identify emerging talent while strengthening practical surgical competencies at an early stage of medical training.

Sunshine Healthcare Lanka Ltd., Executive Director and Sunshine Medical Devices and Lina Manufacturing CEO Dr. T. Sayandhan, said the partnership reflects Sunshine Healthcare’s broader vision of strengthening Sri Lanka’s healthcare ecosystem through long-term investment in both technology and people. ‘Healthcare transformation is driven not only by innovation, but by the capability of the professionals delivering care. By partnering with SLAPRAS on this pioneering initiative, we are investing in future Surgeons by providing opportunities to learn from experts, strengthen practical skills and aspire to higher standards of clinical excellence. Developing healthcare talent today is essential to delivering better patient outcomes tomorrow,’ he said.

Designed as both a competition and a learning experience, the program provided participants with direct mentorship from leading plastic and reconstructive surgeons while exposing them to the standards, discipline and precision expected in modern surgical practice. Competitors were assessed on key aspects of suturing, including tissue handling, instrument control, precision, knot security, consistency and overall technique.

Plastic and Reconstructive Consultant Surgeon and SLAPRAS President Dr. Yasas Abeywickrama said: ‘This initiative is about far more than recognising technical skill. It is about cultivating the craftsmanship, discipline and professional standards that define surgical excellence. By providing students with early exposure to structured skills development and specialist mentorship, we are helping prepare the next generation of surgeons to meet the evolving demands of healthcare.’

The initiative was spearheaded by Plastic and Reconstructive Consultant Surgeon Dr. Gayan Ekanayake with the objective of creating a structured national platform to complement undergraduate medical education through practical skills development, mentorship and performance-based learning.

SLAPRAS intends to establish the championship as an annual national program, expanding opportunities for undergraduate medical students to benefit from structured surgical skills training, specialist mentorship and practical assessment.

New grid batteries will help Sri Lanka absorb surplus solar power nationally, but will not open up rooftop connections where neighbourhood transformers are already full, two Parliamentary Committees heard on 22 and 23 September. Households that can still connect now face either a far less favourable tariff or a battery bill of over Rs. 1 million.

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) challenged the premise behind the curbs on rooftop solar. ‘If there is no alternative below the marginal cost, prices cannot be reduced,’ it told the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) last week.

Marginal cost is the cost of the most expensive power the system must buy, typically from oil-fired plants, which CoPF members said still supply about 40% of generation. The PUCSL rejected the argument that surplus solar has little value, saying daytime power is cheap only because of rooftop solar.

A rooftop system feeds into the neighbourhood transformer serving its street. When too many roofs export power at midday, that transformer overloads and the utility refuses new connections.

Separately, officials told the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Infrastructure and Strategic Development chaired by MP S.M. Marikkar last week that this is the bottleneck in congested urban areas. Yet the National System Operator (NSO) is placing its batteries at grid substations, several steps up the network. Its tender covers 16 substation batteries of 10 MW and 40 MWh each, a total of 160 MW, of which two have been commissioned.

These can absorb surplus power for the national system, but they cannot relieve an overloaded transformer on a street in Kotte. The tendered sites also appear to lie largely outside the Western Province, where congestion is worst.

Marikkar said the battery build-out would benefit ground-mounted solar farms in the regions where the batteries are being installed, while doing nothing for rooftop households in Colombo. He noted that large-scale producers already enjoy concessions, including duty-free import of megawatt-scale batteries, which household buyers do not receive.

He said adding or upgrading a rooftop system in areas such as Kotte and Kolonnawa was now effectively impossible. He urged that Western Province rooftop users be given priority for battery capacity, and that the Government take responsibility for storage.

Batteries at the neighbourhood level, which could ease the bottleneck, have not yet started. The PUCSL said it approved a Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) proposal for such batteries about three months ago, while one from Electricity Distribution Lanka (EDL) has been delayed.

Households that can still connect will pay more for the same panels. Net metering and net accounting, which let owners offset each unit of solar power against a unit bought from the grid, are closed to new connections.

New users must go on ‘Net Plus,’ selling all their output at a feed-in tariff (FiT) of about Rs. 23 per unit for small systems while buying all their power at the retail rate, which is around Rs. 100 per unit above 180 units a month. Contracts are capped at 12 years. A CoPF member warned that new users could end up paying more rather than saving. Existing agreements are unaffected until they expire.

The NSO told the CoPF last week that daytime solar output of over 2,000 MW now matches daytime peak demand of 2,500 to 2,600 MW, so any new solar must come with storage. For a household, that means a battery. Marikkar said a 5 kW household battery with an inverter costs at least Rs. 1 million.

The duty exemption for megawatt-scale batteries was granted around the close of the NSO tender, but household batteries still attract duty. CoPF Chairman MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said the Government had put ‘the cart before the horse’ by ending net metering before storage became affordable.

A PUCSL guideline allows ‘zero-export’ systems, which use solar power on site without feeding it into the grid, and consumers may also go fully off-grid. The PUCSL said solar with a battery pays off at current tariffs, but that upfront capital is the barrier.

The rules themselves are contested. A Cabinet-approved tariff policy restricts new connections to ‘Net Plus,’ while the PUCSL, which now holds the power to set FiTs under the new Electricity Act, determined its own tariffs in August.

The Energy Ministry directed that the Cabinet policy prevail and referred the PUCSL tariffs to the Cabinet, where they await approval. The NSO argued that net accounting gave supernormal returns and that pressure to keep it came from solar companies.

The PUCSL warned that consumption from January to 21 September rose to 14,062 GWh from 11,637 GWh in the same period of 2023. It said that without prompt action, the reserve margin could be breached, bringing shortages or higher prices.

Dr. de Silva said the authorities must come up with a plan.

Separately, the CoPF approved Rs. 17.2 billion for the NSO to cover a deficit from the first quarter, when the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) failed to submit its tariff proposal on time. A targeted subsidy that shielded low-usage households from an 18% tariff increase has ended.