Sri Lanka inks solar partnership with ISA; regional push for SIDS platform, decentralised solutions

Time of India

5 days ago

New Delhi: The
International Solar Alliance
(ISA) and the Government of Sri Lanka signed a Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to accelerate solar deployment, financing and institutional capacity-building in the country, as part of the Seventh Regional Committee Meeting for Asia and the Pacific.
The CPF was exchanged in the presence of Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya, between Minister of Energy Kumara Jayakody and ISA Director General Ashish Khanna.
The Colombo meeting also saw CPF exchanges with Fiji, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands. In addition, a Pledge of Support for the ISA
Small Island Developing States
(SIDS) Platform was adopted by participating island countries, reaffirming collective action on decentralised solar and storage-based energy solutions.
'Sri Lanka supports ISA's four strategic pillars and is working to establish a STAR Centre in Colombo as a regional hub for
solar training and research
,' Prime Minister Amarasuriya said in her address. She called for deeper regional collaboration and a focused approach for SIDS and lower-middle-income countries. 'These countries face high costs, limited land, and grid constraints—but also immense potential in decentralised solar and storage-based solutions,' she said.
Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said, 'Our national goal is to achieve 70 per cent renewable energy in electricity generation by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Solar energy is central to this vision. The Platform will help Small Island Developing States benefit from economies of scale, reduced transaction costs through competitive bidding, and enhanced knowledge exchange.'
ISA Director General Ashish Khanna said the Asia-Pacific region plays a key role in shaping the global solar energy landscape. 'ISA's approach in the region is anchored in four key pillars: mobilising catalytic finance, strengthening institutional capacities, fostering regional platforms, and enabling innovation and technology deployment. We are committed to working in close partnership with each Member State,' he said.
India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, said, 'India's energy transition journey—marked by achieving 50 per cent installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources five years ahead of schedule—demonstrates what collective ambition and decisive action can achieve. Through ISA, we have the opportunity to light up not just homes, but futures.'
The ISA SIDS Platform, jointly developed with the World Bank, aims to accelerate inclusive,
climate-resilient energy access
across island nations.
An MoU was also signed between ISA and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) to advance
solar cooperation
in mountainous regions. The meeting featured sessions on digital energy solutions, cross-border renewables trade and startup innovation under the SolarX APAC pitch competition.
The two-day meeting, hosted in Colombo, continues on July 17 with discussions on operationalising the SIDS Platform and scaling technology-driven interventions.