ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.
Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.
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ACCOUNTABILITY
ADB supports projects in developing member countries that create economic and development impact, delivered through both public and private sector operations, advisory services, and knowledge support.
Priyantha Wijayatunga
Dr Priyantha D.C. Wijayatunga is currently the Chief of the Energy Sector Group in the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Priyantha has over 30 years of professional experience including 14 years in ADB. He was the Director, South Asia Energy Division prior to assuming the current position in August 2021. Before joining ADB, he served as the founder Director General of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka and a Senior Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Moratuwa. He has extensively contributed in the areas of energy policy and regulation, energy planning and clean energy development.
Priyantha holds a Doctorate in Power Systems Economics from the Imperial College London had been a regular Academic Visitor at Imperial College London during the period 1993-1998. He was the Chairman of the South Asia Forum for Infrastructure Regulators (SAFIR) in 2006/07 and was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Ceylon Electricity Board and Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority. He was an Advisory Board member of the Melbourne Energy Institute at the University of Melbourne during 2016-2019.
He is a Chartered Electrical Engineer, a Member of the Institute of Engineering Technology (IET), UK, Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka. He is a Past President of the Sri Lanka Energy Managers Association (SLEMA).
Author
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Hydropower Development and Economic Growth in Nepal
This paper assesses how developing a part of Nepal’s hydropower potential results in stronger economic growth and significantly reduces poverty while delivering environmental benefits and climate change mitigation.
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Increasing Penetration of Variable Renewable Energy: Lessons for Asia and the Pacific
Variable renewable energy (VRE) technologies that harness solar, wind, and other intermittent energy resources are among the front runners for mitigating climate change. However, the timing and level of power generated from VRE installations depend on resource availability and are independent of the variations of power demand. VRE output is intermittent and comes with a low marginal cost. This unique combination of VRE characteristics will increasingly influence power system design, performance, and economics as VRE penetration increases.
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Geographic Information System-Based Decision Support System for Renewable Energy Development: An Indonesian Case Study
A case study in Bali, Indonesia features the use of a GIS-based decision support system as a potential tool to support rapid deployment of renewable energy technologies.
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Improving Energy Efficiency in South Asia
Opportunities for energy efficiency in South Asian power systems exist mostly in the areas of operation of thermal power plants, electricity transmission and delivery systems and in demand management and conservation at the user-end.
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Improving Regulatory Environment for a Regional Power Market in South Asia
For cross-border electricity trade in South Asia to be smooth across the region, policy and regulatory environments governing the power sector need to be harmonized.
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Grid Integration of Wind Power: Best Practices for Emerging Wind Markets
In emerging wind energy markets, issues related to grid integration of wind energy are not at the forefront. An ad hoc project specific approach to grid integration is inadequate to support sustainable wind power development.
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Cross-Border Power Trading in South Asia: A Techno Economic Rationale
Diversity in primary energy sources in South Asian countries and their electricity demand patterns open up opportunities for greater use of cheaper, cleaner resources for electricity generation, reducing fossil fuel use in the region.
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An Overview of Energy Cooperation in South Asia
The paper provides an overview of both intra-regional and inter-regional energy cooperation in South Asia covering ongoing and planned activities, barriers to increased cooperation, and recommendations to overcome them.
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Energy Trade in South Asia: Opportunities and Challenges
The South Asia Regional Energy Study was completed as an important component of the technical assistance project Preparing the Energy Sector Dialogue and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Energy Center Capacity Development.
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Taking Power Trading to the Next Level in South Asia
Bilateral power trading deals among SASEC countries should gradually expand. A single interconnected power market would be a clear win for the subregion.
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ADB Grant to Help Maldives Tap Solar Power, Cut High Fuel Bill
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a $38 million grant and allocating another $12 million grant from the ADB-administered Strategic Climate Fund to help the Maldives tap its ample renewable power sources and reduce its reliance on costly, polluting diesel oil-fuelled electricity.