Galle now has the country’s first commercial-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) connected to the national power grid.
The system began full commercial operations on September 10 at Bataduwa, near the Galle Grid Substation.
The facility can store up to 10 megawatts (MW) of power and 40 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy.
It can store excess electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind. The system can then release that stored power to the grid when it is needed.
How the Galle battery will work
Solar and wind power can vary during the day.
At times, renewable projects may produce more electricity than the grid needs. The battery can store some of that excess power for later use.
This gives the power system another way to manage renewable electricity.
The Galle system therefore does more than add 10 MW of capacity. It introduces battery storage as a new part of grid operations.
First of 16 planned systems
The Galle BESS is the first of 16 battery storage units tendered in 2025.
The wider programme will add more battery storage to the national power system.
This could become increasingly important as more solar and wind projects connect to the grid.
The ability to store electricity during periods of high renewable generation and release it later can help the system manage changes in power supply.
New system operator
The project also comes as the electricity sector moves to a new system for managing the national grid.
The National System Operator (NSO Pvt Ltd) was established after the restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board.
The NSO manages the national power system and oversees electricity purchases.
The 16-unit BESS programme is being developed under this new system.
Project implemented by Galilee BESS
Galilee BESS Limited implemented the Galle project.
The company is a subsidiary of WKV Hydro Technics, which is fully owned by Singapore-based Khen Energy Ltd.
For Galle, the project marks the start of commercial battery storage on the national grid.
For the wider power system, it provides the first operating unit in a planned 16-system programme.
The progress of the remaining projects will determine how much battery storage becomes available across the grid.
Last modified: September 15, 2026
