A special discussion took place between the Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Dr. Siri Walt, and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo.
During the meeting, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa urged the Swiss government to extend its fullest possible support for Sri Lanka’s renewable energy projects. He also commended Switzerland’s 2023 legislation aimed at transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, describing it as a historic and decisive step in tackling climate change.
Addressing the recent power outage in Sri Lanka, Premadasa stated that he and his team have consistently advocated for a greater focus on renewable energy. He explained that the blackout was caused by system imbalances between electricity consumption and energy generation. The Opposition Leader further emphasized the critical need for infrastructure such as Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Pumped Storage Power Plants (PSPP), which have been overlooked by the current administration.
In this context, he called upon the Swiss Ambassador to explore immediate, short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures to ensure a stable and uninterrupted power supply for the people of Sri Lanka.
Former Member of Parliament Eran Wickramaratne, representing the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, was also present at the discussion.
