Sri Lanka’s communication sector has hit top spot in the world and the country is capable achieving this feat in the power and energy sector as well, asserted State Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, Ajith P. Perera addressing the annual conference of the Organization of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka last week in Colombo.
Perera said Sri Lanka has made huge strides in renewable energy production and in the past two years itself through the Soorya Bala Sangramaya project have added 181 mw to the national grid which could be valued at US$ 200 million. This was through sola roof panels and solar parks put up in rural areas.
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| State Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, Ajith P. Perera |
The Minister however cautioned that corruption had been a huge bane in the development of renewable energy in the country in the past. A few individuals with permits were commanding a monopoly in the sector, he said. The government with a very ambitious effort has been able to do away with that draconian permit system and for the first time in the history of the country tendered two 10 mw power plant projects. The Electricity Board used to purchase a unit of electricity from private suppliers at Rs 23.10 and from the first tender itself by creating competition the government was able to bring it down by 50 percent to Rs 12 per unit. He said they called tenders for 60, 1mw projects around the country and was capable to bring down the average solar power unit which stood at 23.10 to Rs 17.10. The government subsequently tendered another 90, 1mw projects and according to the latest tender the average cost of purchasing a unit of solar power has come down to Rs 15.40 a reduction of 40 percent. Similarly tenders were called for two 10 mw power projects where they were able to negotiate Rs 11.82 and 12.20 respectively for a solar power unit which is a 50 percent reduction. The minister said within a couple of months they would call tenders for a 70 mw wind power, 150 mw solar power and two 100 mw solar power plants in Siyambalanduwa and Pooneryn. Perera said the government’s ultimate goal was to move to 100 percent renewable power production by 2050.
The Electricity Board plans to construct a 100 mw wind power plant in mannar and the cost of producing unit of electricity using wind power was $ 0.5 per unit. This is in contrast to Sri Lanka’s current electricity generating cost of US $ 0.8 per unit.
To achieve this, the power sector should be converted into a smart grid and the road map to the smart grid has been approved by the Cabinet last week and the process is expected to be completed within the next five years. The country will require 60 lakhs of smart meters and this would be produced by a local factory, he said. To coordinate these activities a control room has already being put up in Battaramulla with an investment of Rs 3 billion.
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