{"id":122455,"date":"2022-01-28T17:19:06","date_gmt":"2022-01-29T00:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=122455"},"modified":"2022-01-28T17:19:06","modified_gmt":"2022-01-29T00:19:06","slug":"the-three-fuels-miracle-the-only-solution-to-the-energy-crisis-in-sri-lanka-and-to-keep-sri-lanka-alight-even-if-the-whole-world-that-depends-of-fossil-fuel-goes-dark-after-2050-p","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2022\/01\/28\/the-three-fuels-miracle-the-only-solution-to-the-energy-crisis-in-sri-lanka-and-to-keep-sri-lanka-alight-even-if-the-whole-world-that-depends-of-fossil-fuel-goes-dark-after-2050-p\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe Three Fuels miracle\u201d the only solution to the energy crisis in Sri Lanka and to keep Sri Lanka alight, even if the whole world that depends of fossil fuel, goes dark after 2050. Part 11 With revised Proposals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Sudath Gunasekara 27.1.2022.<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

(\u0db8\u0d9f \u0dc4\u0ddc\u0db3\u0da7 \u0dad\u0dd2\u0db6\u0dda\u0db1\u0db8\u0dca \u0dba\u0db1\u0dca\u0da7 \u0daf\u0dd1\u0dc3\u0dad\u0dca \u0db4\u0dd9\u0db1\u0dda\u0db1\u0db8\u0dca \u0d9a\u0dd2\u0db8 \u0db6\u0dd0\u0daf\u0dd2\u0dc0\u0dbd \u0dba\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1\u0dda \u0db8\u0db1\u0dca\u0db8\u0dd4\u0dbd\u0dcf\u0dc0\u0dd4 \u0d91\u0d9a\u0d9a\u0dd4 \u0dc3\u0dda\n\u0dc3\u0dd2\u0db1\u0dca\u0dc4\u0dbd\u0dba\u0d9a\u0dd4\u0d9c\u0dda \u0d9a\u0dd2\u0dba\u0db8\u0db1\u0d9a\u0dca) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka is geographically located almost\nright at the center of the globe (bet 5-10 degrees N of equator and 80-82\ndegrees E) and at the middle of the tropics. It is also blessed with the vast\nexpanse of the Indian Ocean, the third biggest body of water in the world covering\n1\/5th<\/sup> of the total ocean area of the world right round it extending\n7000 miles from N-S and 4900 miles from W-E, East Africa to West Australia. It\nis being traversed by seasonal Monsoons that sweep the vast Indian Ocean that\nbring unlimited rain to this Island. It is also favorably, located within the\ntrajectory of The Inter Tropical Converging Zone in relation that brings both\nsurface and upper atmospheric effects such as the burst of the monsoon and\nseasonal monsoon rain to the Island. Furthermore, its insularity and its small size\n(65,610 km2) and its peculiar and unique physical topography characterized by a\ncentral hill country at the center of the Island, rising abruptly from the surrounding\nlowlands and going up to 8281 ft msl at Pidutalagala This peculiar topography\nproviding for cascading rivers right round the hill country with an annual mean\nrainfall of 2000 mm has made Sri Lanka the richest country in water resources\nin the world.  Regular seasonal winds that\nbring alternatively, SW and NE monsoon rain for 11 months in the year with\nconvectional rain in April, 12 hours daily sunshine right throughout the year all\nover the country resulting evergreen tropical rain forests has made it the blessed\nevergreen resplendent Isle on earth from the dawn of history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With such a high volume of perennial river\nwater cascading down the hills, abundant 12hour uninterrupted sunshine\nthroughout the year all over the Island and howling and blowing winds across\nthe country at our disposal and at no cost, I wonder why we go after and fully\ndepend on imported fossil fuel, coal, natural gaze and dangerous atomic energy\nspending trillions of dollars making the nation poorer every day, as the only\nway to provide energy to this small Island nation. I ponder as to what are the\nreasons for this unfortunate situation?  Is\nit because of the lack of brain or commitment to nation building on the part of\npoliticians, policy makers and scientists in the relevant fields?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following data announced over the\nTV on today (22.1.2022) tells the present pathetic situation in relation to\npower production and development in this country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Oil, Coal and gaze 73 %<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 Hydro                      25%<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 renewable              2%<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my view this should have been just\nthe rivers way about after 73 years of so-called Independence and 71 years\nafter the inauguration of Hydro power by Wimalasurendra in 1950. Doesn\u2019t this\nshow how the country had been developed by our politicians, policy planners and\nscientists in the relevant fields. No wonder today, we, a country that had the\nsecond highest per-capita income at Independence, have to go right round the\nworld with the begging ball on our heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, in the same way, is it not the\npoverty of vision and mission, creativity, imagination, lack of patriotism and\nlack of commitment for nation building OR the fat kickbacks and other unlimited\nbenefits for politicians, policy makers and scientists in the relevant fields and\ntheir conventional and blind adherence to the so-called, modern technologies of\nthe West and above all their lethargy, that has given rise to this unfortunate\nsituation? The nation needs men like Wimalasurendara the Father of Hydroelectricity\nin this country He started his struggle in 1923 After his proposals were\nrejected and was obstructed, he resigned his job and contested elections and\nhaving entered the State Council in 1931 he continued to fight and finally\ncompleted Luxapana in 1950, the first hydroelectricity project in Sri Lanka. My\nquestion is why can\u2019t the present-day engineers can\u2019t think and act like Wimalasurerendara.\n Instead, knowing that coal is going to\nbe depleted by2050 the engineers of the electricity Board still fight for\nSampur coal Project as if they are unaware of the fate of Norechchole and the\nenvironmental disaster it will bring about using coal, the most polluting source\nof power generation. Why do they do so? Where is the Government, policy planners\nand engineers who are supposed to be working for the welfare of the people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Three Fuels miracle\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydro power combined with Solar and wind\npower; I think therefore should be the best solution to our energy crisis. This\ncombination is also the ideal remedy that can guarantee sustainable power\nsupply at the lowest cost without any pollution as well as CO2 emission that\ncause atmospheric pollution, is almost nil with these sources. All these three\npower sources are renewed by nature at no cost and they don\u2019t depend on\nimported oil or coal. So, we don\u2019t need any foreign exchange either to import\nany fossil fuel. Even locally we don\u2019t need to pay for the local power sources water,\nsun shine and wind as they are provided free by nature. This wealth is\nindigenous and all three will guarantee un-interrupted supplies throughout the\nyear for ever. They will never be exhausted and will last as long as the sun\nand the world will last.  The most\nimportant features of these fuels sources is they are available at no cost, freely\ngiven by mother nature and also pollution free, sans any additional costs like\nshipping, insurance taxes and breakdown in transport either etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need only the energy to turn the\nmachines turbines, that generate electricity (in addition reservoirs, tunnels\nto store and conduct water in the case of hydro-electricity), and in solar\npower to activate the Solar panels to convert it to electricity. and wind towers\nto turn the fans to generate energy convert them in to electricity and light.\nInitially in the short run, we may have to import the basic technology like\nturbines, solar panels. But with the human talent we have within the country we\nshould be able to manufacture all these items in no time. That will give rise\nto a number of promising industries that will provide additional employment for\nmillions of people as well. Considering the unlimited availability of these Raw\nmaterials\u201d, for power generation at low cost we may be able to even export excess\npower generated to India and neighboring countries like Bangladesh, that will\nbring foreign exchange as well, to jack up our foreign reserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these three power sources also are\npollution free and we will have a clean and Green environment free from\nenvironmental hazards leading to respiratory and other lung related health problems\nas well. It will also save foreign exchange in unprecedented amounts. At the\nsame time if we can convert all vehicles to the electric model, and encourage\nlocal productions with tax relief, a new chain of industries and employment in\nthese fields will boost up.  Meanwhile wasting\non import of fossil fuel also will be saved.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this backdrop hydro power, Solar\nand Wind power combined, is the best solution to the present energy crisis in\nthis country. In the long run this energy producing model might even become a\nworld model that will revolutionize the power industry. Followed by the \u2018Hydro-Solar-Wind\nmodel\u201d even ocean waves right round the country could also be made use of to\nproduce energy. That will give a further boost to the economy. The three  \nmost common sources of energy are Oil, Coal and Atomic power all\nmonopolized by the industrialized countries. They exploit the so-called Third\nWorld underdeveloped countries like ours, not only by selling these items at\nexorbitant prices abut also by tying them up with other means like their\nmachinery, technical advice, shipping, insurance and banking etc, and keep the\nvictim countries ever trapped in their hegemonic exploiting noose, thereby\nincreasing our dependency on exploitive industrialized powers. This is the trap\nwe are caught up with at present. So long as we depend on oil. Coal and natural\ngaze, their machinery and technical advice we have no solace and no escape from\nthis dependency trap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only way we can escape from this fatal\nnoose is to shift our energy generation to these Three local\nmiracle Fuels\u201d<\/a>, that is water, wind and Solar heat all three of which are\nabundantly available throughout the year and free. That will also help us to\nsave all foreign exchange spent on oil, coal and natural gaze and the\ndependency on the industrial countries, thereby reducing their interference in\ndomestic politics and economies as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Energy production should be\ndeveloped under Four sectors to make the industry competitive <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

a) State b) Cooperative and c) Private\n) Scale-wise Three categories <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scale wise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Mini Hydro and Dendro energy all\nprivate sector operated<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 Medium Hydro managed by Cooperative\nProjects  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 Large Scale Hydro\/solar\/Wind under\nthe State.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The national Grid should be Installed,\nmanaged and maintained by the State.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Establishment of this multi sector system\nis expected to develop the industry on an a competitive basis at a reasonably\nlo cast. It is also expected to guarantee un-interrupted power supply in the\ncountry in case supply from one sector gets interrupted due to some reason like\nbrake down or trade union action etc. There should also be a state mechanism to\ncoordinate the operations of these three sectors giving a sense of togetherness\nin their role in nation building.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regular supply of water<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to get the maximum benefit\nout of the hydro-projects we need to ensure regular water supplies of water to these\nprojects as a national service even during the dry spells. Of cause to ensure\nan uninterrupted supply of water for hydro projects we need to maintain the\nrespective reservoirs at the maximum or at least the optimum levels even during\ndry spells. In order to achieve this target one need to first protect the\ncatchment areas and the watersheds. Second, Protect the reservoirs and desilt them\nregularly and maintain these large water bodies to enable their full capacities\nto be filled with water and not with silt. The Mini projects and Medium\nProjects should be provided with financial and technical assistance by the\nState. While maintaining them is important we also have to protect the catchment\nareas of these reservoirs. More than anything else, here comes the importance\nof watershed management. Another technique of ensuring the water levels of\nthese reservoirs is to construct upstream barrages in suitable places. The\nwaterbodies created by these barrages will perform a dual function. That is\ncontrolling water before it reaches the main reservoirs and there by avoid the\nopening of spill gates with the first rainfall that makes the precious water\nrun down to the sea without making use of it. They will also minimize silt\nflowing down the rivers and fill the main reservoirs and also act as reserve\ntanks to augment main reservoirs catering the Hydro plants during dry spells.  like what Kuluwev<\/em> do in the dry Zone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This innovation will guarantee uninterrupted\nregular supplies to the main reservoirs. These barrages also can provide\nopportunities for inland fishing. In fact, the fundamental function of\nreservoirs in the ancient Sri Lanka was to store rain water that is running\ndown to the sea during the rainy seasons to be used when there is no rain.  But of cause today the main function of a\nreservoir built in the Wet Zone is to provide water to turn the turbines to\nproduce electricity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This concept and Mini\nHydro plants was first used in modern times by British planters to turn their\nmachinery in tea factories in the hill country and produce electricity for\ntheir factories and bungalows.  <\/a>It is a sad story to say\nthat today our engineers allow 65 % of the total annual rainfall to go down to\nthe sea without being used for the benefit of man. If King Parakramabahu who\nruled this Kingdom in the 12th<\/sup> century AD at Polonnaruwa, an ancient\nKing of this country who said that Not a drop of water that falls from the\nheavens should be allowed to go to the sea without being used for the benefit\nman\u201d comes to know of this situation, he will rise from  his grave and \ncome back and drag all the present day Rulers, State officials and\nespecially the irrigation and Electrical Engineers  who have failed to arrest this 65% going down\nto the sea without being used for the benefit of man and lock them up\npermanently there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water our most precious wealth <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent study on Sri Lanka has\nlisted this country at the top among the six countries that shares one half of\nthe 0,3% drinkable water this planet has and moreover Sri Lanka has been recognized\nas the only country that will have drinkable water even if there is going to be\na shortage of drinking in the whole world one day, as the result of\nenvironmental damages the countries world over are doing.<\/strong> This news has put\nit on the top of the world and made water its biggest asset and the most\nvaluable commodity Sri Lanka has<\/strong>. The same study has described this country\nas the last country on earth that will have drinking water in the world, even\nif all the rest run dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The threat on our water resources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But all these sweet talks will\ndisappear in a dream If we don\u2019t protect the geographical heartland (what I\nhave named as GEOGRAPHICAL HADABIMA of this Island) the Central Hill Country,\nthe priceless heritage, nature has given to this nation is not protected from\nthe environmental devastation and destruction going on this nation\u2019s \u2018HEART\u201d from\n1830s onwards. Even after the British vandals who destroyed 600 000 acres of\nvirgin forest that were there from the dawn of history and destroyed the\nphysical instability by uprooting and burning the trees and digging and turning\nthe soil and by various constructions done by the British planters. They also\ndestroyed the entire river system, by reducing their annual flow by 50% as Samuel\nBaker has pointed out and playing havoc by floods in the downstream areas. These\nstreams watered and enriched the whole Island protecting the entire life system\nin the country both flora and fauna and finally preserved the entire life\nsystem and the civilization on this Island from the dawn of history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same process of destruction\ncontinued even after 1948 and continued up to 1972 the year when these estates\nwere nationalized. Since there was no proper management, these watersheds were\nfurther neglected resulting heavy land erosion and degradation almost beyond\nrecovery. It was this forest cover on the central watersheds that protected the\nland, water the bio diversity and the animal world, underground water table and\nthe entire river system that had been protected for millions of years by our\nancestors until 1815.as a Protected and strictly reserved National Forest declared\nby Royal decree. While further neglecting continued by the State the resident\nIndian labour were also mobilized by their trade Union leaders took the law\nunto their hand claiming for land and human rights, which they never agitated\nfor when they were made to suffer like slaves under the British Planters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the so-called national political\nparties gave in to their demands by bribing trade union leaders to remain in power.\nEvery time the Governments change these estate Tamils leaders joined the party\nin power to get their demands, The successive Governments gave in to all their\ndemands without caring a damn for the native people, land, the environment or\nthe physical stability of the Heartland or the interests of the native Sinhala\npeople especially those Kandyan Peasants who lost everything they had including\ntheir mother land and even their life in battles fought against the colonial\nenemies in defense of the country. Today they have got reduced to a mere set of\npaupers sunk in abject poverty<\/a>[S1]<\/a> \nhaving lost their Motherland, once happen to be a paradise of their own. The\nmotherland should be put in the hands of the natives who built up the\ncivilization and not foreigners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The survival of the entire life\nsystem and the civilization, in this Island as I have consistently pointed out\nfrom 1991 as the Head of the Sri Lanka Hadabima Authority Project, created by\nme the same year to cover 1\/3 of the land area of the country was aimed at\nprotection this HADABIMA of the nation. That too has been now destroyed by\nappointing political stooges who are clueless of the broad national objectives\nof this Project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 In the days of the Sinhala Kings who found and\nfostered the civilization of this country they had protected all land above 3500\nft MSL (except Kotmale , Welimanda and Madaram Nuwara) up to 1815. That was how\nthey got water to cultivate even three seasons of paddy cultivation in this\ncountry. But since 1815, the entire primeval and virgin forest cover has been\nremoved by the white invaders for plantation agriculture and millions of South\nIndian cheap slave labour were brought and  \nsettled on these estates to maximize their profits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding insult to injury the native\npoliticians who took over the country from British in 1948 also followed suit\nbuy continuing the same destructions the white men did to make profits. Native Sinhala\npoliticians today do it to consolidate their power. They woo the estate Tamil\nvotes alternatively without any love for the country or the future of their own\nlot Sinhalese, without any regard to the great environmental, ecological or\nhydrological damages done on the neglected marginal tea estates by the alien\nIndian labour force doing day and night. \nAlthough politician talk big of 1948 Independence the criminal\ndestruction of the watersheds continues by south Indian Tamil community as they\ndon\u2019t love this country and their heads and hearts are all in South India. An\nexcellent example of this criminal political party gamble against the natives\nby selfish politicians who have no feeling for the future of the country or the\nSinhala nation is given below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only few days ago Sajit Premadasa Leader\nof the Opposition promised these estate Tamils at Nuwara Eliya<\/strong> Deepawali festival that\nhis government (a day dream only that will never come to power within his life\ntime) will make these Indian Tami labourers, the true owners of small holder\ntea lands. This is how our politicians look at the Heart Land\u201d of the country\nthat keep up the beat of the nation in this Islands civilization. The problem\nwith all our politicians is that none of them know the critical importance of\nthe Central Highlands in guaranteeing the survival of the entire life system\nand the civilization of this Island nation. They also don\u2019t know that we had a\ngreat civilization in the pristine past that was in par with ancient Greek and Roman civilizations.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I have written volumes on its importance<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have been writing volumes on the\nneed to protect these watersheds since 1991 in vain. From 1991, I have addressed\nmany letters to the President of the Country offering my free services to\nrescue the nations HEART land without a salary,<\/strong> but it is a tragedy I\nhave not got even a reply up to date. None, of these politicians is concerned\nabout the future of the country or the Sinhala nation. They are only worried about\npolitical power and amazing wealth surrounded by equally selfish Kevattayas<\/em>\nwho never make use of the service of those who know the subject. They only know\nthose who collects votes and kickbacks and pay hosanna day and night\n(Vandibhattakayo). None of these politicians realize that the \u2018Death\u201d of the\nheartland is the death of the country and the Sinhala nation. Them are\ninterested only in collecting their votes and perks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if we allow this destruction of\nthe watersheds to continue without arresting it, as early as possible, the day that\nwill make the curtain fall on the Sinhale land and the glory of the Sinhala nation\nand the day the whole Island will turn in to a cold sterile desert, sans any\nlife on it is not that far. Tamils have a place in South India to get back. But\nwhere are we going to go.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One might wonder as to why I dealt in\nsuch length about the subject of protecting the Central hill country above 1000\nfeet in this essay, dealing with the energy crisis. I deliberately did so for\nthe following reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, Hydroelectricity is the chief\ncomponent of this proposal and the Central Hill Country is the dynamo that\ngives life to the engine that keeps the civilization on this Island moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second as the watersheds on the\ncentral Hill Country are the only source of the nation\u2019s water resources not\nonly as the nucleus that provides the source for all the country\u2019s rivers but\nalso its role as a rainmaker and as a stimulator for convection due to its\nunusual and abrupt rise from the lowlands to confront the two monsoons when\nthey cross the Island and activate the rising hot air mases when monsoons are\nsilent in April to generate convectional rain in mid monsoons (April) It also\nforms a giant underground reservoir for the nations underground water deposits\nthat replenish the rivers in dry weather like the Central Bank in a nation\u2019s\neconomy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, the critical importance of the\nprotection of the central watersheds in the process of providing water needed\nfor the generation of hydroelectricity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourth no one can ever dream of hydro\npower generation, besides to provide  water for survival in Sri Lanka, without\nprotecting the physical stability of the central watersheds  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Just as the man dies the day\nthe heart fails similarly hydro power and water for life in Sri Lanka will also\ncome to an end once the physical stability of the Central watersheds\n(Heartland) is gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the reasons that compelled\nme to give a comprehensive account on this subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wind  Power  .<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is one single name in Sri Lanka\none cannot easily forget when we talk about wind power in this country. That is\nmy good friend and senior colleague who had been once GA Matara and held many\nresponsible posts in SLAS and worked as an  international Consultant on Development in\nmany countries like Bangladesh and an extensive traveler all over the world  now living in retirement who wrote a versatile\npiece in 2019 on Wind Power for Sri Lanka. Anyone interested in what he has to\nsay can contact him on Garvin- <\/strong>Karunaratne@hotmail.com<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/strong>I don\u2019t think I have to add anything to what Garvin\nhas said on this subject except to add three new places with my knowledge on\nthe movement of monsoon winds. With distinctive two NE and SW seasons with\nspectacular wind gaps all over the hill country particularly in places like\nCorbet\u2019s gap Meemure and Madugoda (Present Udadumbara as I named it  in 1971 when I was DRO there) and Uduwaaheena\noff Kaluntenna opening the Dumbara valley to the Bintenna plains on the\nKnuckles and Ramboda  and Kadugannawa in\nthe central hills with howling and blowing <\/a>winds turned\nin to energy  where all \u2018Raw materials\u201d\nwill be local with no import. As Garvin points out you have only to install\nwind turbine in place where the wind blows and howls and not along the sea\nshore like in Mannar or Hambantota where it only breezes in the evenings.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Solar power<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone knows that the sun is shining\nover the Islands heavens throughout the year, 12 hours a day. So, the unlimited\npower available   to generate electricity is there. One has only\nto make use of this natural wealth at least now. In generating solar power, we\nneed only to install solar panels. The government can select few sites in the\nIsland for large scale generation. Beside that we can also fix solar panels on\neach and every building\/house. Solar power like wind and hydro power are replenishable\nas long as the sun and moon shall last and more over the global position of the\nIsland will remain unchanged and the physiography of the Island will also\nremain unchanged due to tectonic changes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dendro- Power<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was an all island Dendro-power Project\nin this country some time back under the sponsorship of UNIDO. Under that\nproject the most successful project was carried out in my village Meemure in\nthe Kandy District. The main raw material used was Grilisidia. It is a nitrogen\nfixing medium size plant grown all over the Island and as such there was no\nproblem of getting raw material either. I remember this Project was combined\nwith a mini-hydro Project Besides providing relatively cheap electricity\nparticularly to remote villages like Meemure where the main line supply was not\navailable it also provided employment to rural women. Almost all the houses in\nMeemure and Kaikavala, the adjoining village were given electricity by its\nfirst phase. But unfortunately, interference by local politicians looking for\ncommissions obstructed its progress and finally it had to beabandoned.. The\nresident UNIDO Consultant Mr Sarath Chandrasena told me that the Meemure\nproject was selected as the best in the world.  If anybody is interested in more details, he\ncan contact him on 077 9020955. He lives in No 939\/3C Vijithapura Battaramulla.\nThe impression I got after listening to him was that these corrupt local\npoliticians have killed a Goose that laid golden eggs, without impunity, as it\nis usual in Sri Lankan politics. Even the other projects started in other areas\nmet with the same fate. ,I am told. this sector was originally started by my\ngood friend famous late Ray Wijewardhana a wonderful innovator in the\nfield of Agriculture., in his Coconut state in Puttalama District. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current position of renewable energy\ndevelopment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are currently a total of 294\nprivate sector renewable energy developer projects which have been\ncommissioned. These projects have combined capacity of 718.334 megawatts (MW).\nThe total number of projects needs to increase drastically, for the country to\ntruly reap the full benefits of renewable energy,\u201d Thusitha Peiris, Small Hydro\nPower Developers Association President said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that small hydro power\nprojects have been brought to a halt for years now, and today the need is ever\nmore acute for local entrepreneurs to be allowed to restart investing in this\nsector in a conducive operating environment. <\/strong>I suggest that the\nGovernment encourage  these people  to develop more and more similar Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also important to note that fossil\nfuel and coal supplies will also come to an end one day once their deposits get\nexhausted. Recent studies have revealed that oil deposits will get depleted by\n2050 and coal and natural gaze also will be over by 2060. But the beauty with water,\nsolar power wind and Dendro-power is that they will never get exhausted. They\nwill generously serve the world as long as the sun, the sky and the atmospheric\ncirculations are there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Germany a few years ago they\nintroduced a guaranteed price for renewable energy for a period of 20 years.\nThe net result is now Germany is leading in renewable energy. They shut down 84\ncoal plants and most of their nuclear plants. The investment was mostly done by\nthe Private Sector. Why don\u2019t our leaders follow the same model that has worked\nfor the Germans so well? If we do that, we could cut down on the import of\ncoal, crude oil, and diesel, save Forex and solar energy electricity for all\nour needs such as cooking, vehicles, all powering, needs, etc. In the USA too\nthey give tax incentives for homeowners to install solar panels on the roofs.\nWe need to think out of the box in terms of clean energy instead of using coal plants\nand diesel generators and end up in economic and environmental disasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if we give top priority to electricity\ngenerated with these power sources in this country, it will not only enable us\nto save billions of Forex and make us economically stronger and independent but\nalso it will enable us to enjoy the luxury of electricity even when the whole\nworld that depends on fossil fuels sources and expensive and polluting nuclear and\nAtomic energy goes dark and also sustainable energy continues to work our factories\nand  all machines that need electric\npower close down theirs for lack of electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

 [S1]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr Sudath Gunasekara 27.1.2022. (\u0db8\u0d9f \u0dc4\u0ddc\u0db3\u0da7 \u0dad\u0dd2\u0db6\u0dda\u0db1\u0db8\u0dca \u0dba\u0db1\u0dca\u0da7 \u0daf\u0dd1\u0dc3\u0dad\u0dca \u0db4\u0dd9\u0db1\u0dda\u0db1\u0db8\u0dca \u0d9a\u0dd2\u0db8 \u0db6\u0dd0\u0daf\u0dd2\u0dc0\u0dbd \u0dba\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1\u0dda \u0db8\u0db1\u0dca\u0db8\u0dd4\u0dbd\u0dcf\u0dc0\u0dd4 \u0d91\u0d9a\u0d9a\u0dd4 \u0dc3\u0dda \u0dc3\u0dd2\u0db1\u0dca\u0dc4\u0dbd\u0dba\u0d9a\u0dd4\u0d9c\u0dda \u0d9a\u0dd2\u0dba\u0db8\u0db1\u0d9a\u0dca) Sri Lanka is geographically located almost right at the center of the globe (bet 5-10 degrees N of equator and 80-82 degrees E) and at the middle of the tropics. It is also blessed with the vast […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-sudath-gunasekara"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122455\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}