Belgium will help the Sri Lankan government to promote renewable energy and remodel the energy sector in Sri Lanka, Belgium Ambassador to India and Sri Lanka Jan Luykx said.
He made these comments during a meeting with Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya yesterday.
Luyks along with a Belgium delegation, met Minister Siyambalapitiya at the ministry premises to discuss the importance of renewable energy to Sri Lanka in meeting the demands for energy services and the ways in which energy services demand be encouraged to opt for renewable energy.
Luyks said Sri Lanka being closer to the equator and opting for solar power would be beneficial to the country.
He said the Belgium government was willing to equip Sri Lanka with the mandatory technological know how to store solar power to generate electricity with which Sri Lanka would be able to produce electricity even during wet weather.
"These new developments in the Belgium - Sri Lanka relationship will substantiate the long lasting friendship between the countries," the ambassador said.
Siyambalapitiya said renewable energy had become a key to the ‘Ratama Eliyayi-Andura Duralayi’ national programme targeting to achieve 100 percent electrification including remote areas in Sri Lanka in the end of January 2017.
A large number of houses will become mini solar power generators, with the newly launched ‘Sooriyabala Sangramaya’ programme, the minister said.