Kathmandu. Colombo: Sri Lanka has urged electric vehicle (EV) users not to charge their vehicles at night as the energy crisis worsens. The appeal was made after the increasing demand for electricity created pressure on the country’s electricity system.
In his address to the nation, President Anura Kumar Disaskanayak said an additional 300 MW of demand has been added to the grid as many EV users were charging their vehicles after returning home at night. According to him, this has created an imbalance in the power supply and has created a situation where all available generation sources have to be operated.
Sri Lanka generates electricity from around 900 MW of coal and 1,000 MW of diesel during the night. It is accepted that it is not an environmentally friendly option. This has created a situation contrary to the notion that EVs are a symbol of clean energy.
According to the government, despite sufficient solar energy production in the country, it has not been able to secure the surplus energy produced during the day due to the lack of a large-scale battery storage system. Therefore, President Dissanayak urged the citizens to charge their vehicles by using solar energy during the day. It also plans to implement a charging system soon to control charging at night.
The number of electric vehicles in Sri Lanka has increased rapidly in recent years. More than 10 percent of vehicles imported are fully electric after a five-year ban was lifted in February last year.
The energy crisis caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East has further affected Sri Lanka. The government has started rationing to control fuel shortages and has also implemented a four-day working week to save fuel.
President Dissanayaka said two shipments of 90,000 tonnes of crude oil could not be received due to the war. He also said that talks are being held with friendly countries like India and Russia for refined petroleum products.
Roads across the country were deserted on Wednesday, with schools, government offices and banks closed and trains and bus stations less crowded.
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्