{"id":98616,"date":"2020-02-03T16:25:38","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T23:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=98616"},"modified":"2020-02-03T16:25:38","modified_gmt":"2020-02-03T23:25:38","slug":"wind-power-to-our-rescue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/02\/03\/wind-power-to-our-rescue\/","title":{"rendered":"Wind Power to our rescue"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Garvin Karunaratne<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

I bequeath to my readers\nthe Conclusion of my book: Wind Power for Sri Lanka\u2019s Power Requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It in unfortunate that our\nauthorities in establishing wind turbines in Sri Lanka have so far ignored  the mountainous areas where there is ample\nwind power.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mind travels to a book\nby John Perkins, Confessions of an Economic Hitman, where he confesses\nthat as an expert he had written feasibility reports with fabricated statistics\nwhich when implemented by  the Government\nof Ecuador, became failures,  with  the loan as a debt to the country. Our\ncountry has been given the wrong advice. Go to Spain, to the USA the leading\ncountries where wind power has been harnessed and they harness the wind on\ntheir mountains. It is only Sri Lanka that tries to catch the sea breeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Sri Lanka we have failed\nto harness Wind Power which Mother Nature has bountifully provided to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suffice it to state that\nSpain a country that was far behind in producing wind power has within two to\nthree years spurted up the ladder to be the second country in the world.\nTravelling through the Pyrenees to Spain in my Motorhome I was surprised to see\nwind turbines perched all over even on makeshift angle iron posts, the type of\nthings that I can myself make in a day(I am no engineer). Spain even sells\npower to France today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On my last visit to\nvenerate the Avukana Buddha, I spotted a canopy perched on very long concrete\nshafts constructed by the State Engineering Corporation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is my humble request to\nour excellency the President of Sri Lanka to summon the engineers who built the\nconcrete shafts to support the canopy, and request them to design and produce\nthe posts that can carry the wind turbines. They can easily produce these. Then\nimport the wind turbine mechanism and set them up in our hills. We will provide\nemployment for a few thousands. We can invite a specialist of the caliber\nof  Paul Gipe, the mastermind of wind\npower in California. who actually constructed and guides the wind turbines in\nCalifornia today. This will provide all the power we need. I have no doubt\nabout that. This task can be accomplished within a year at most. Considering\nthe billions we spend to import coal and oil, we can easily make a saving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the message in my\nbook: Wind Power for Sri Lanka\u2019s Power Requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I enclose the Conclusion of\nmy book in support for kind perusal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

10.Conclusion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am pleased to submit the\nPapers I have so far written on Wind Power as a source of Energy, in a booklet\nin the sheer hope that someday this will be read by one of our leaders who will\nbe convinced that Wind Power is the form of energy that Sri Lanka is blessed\nwith in abundance and will get going all out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In nostalgia, I can\nremember what did actually happen in Bangladesh in 1982, when I worked there as\nthe Commonwealth Fund General Advisor on Youth Development to the Ministry of\nLabour and Manpower in Bangladesh., The Minister for Youth Abul Kasim  was arrested on the charge of harbouring a\ncriminal in his residency. A day later, the Military took over the country in a\ncoup de etat.  Immediately afterwards,\nthe Military Government  in a high\npowered conference chaired by Hon Aminul Islam, the Minister for Labour and\nManpower assessed the programmes of the Youth Ministry. That included imparting\nvocational training to 40,000 youths a year. The Minister  was not totally impressed with the work done.\nSuddenly realizing me as the only outsider, I was confronted: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dWhat is the contribution\nyou can make for Bangladesh?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 I replied: It would be ideal to have a self\nemployment programme to enable the 40,000 youths that are being trained every\nyear to be guided to become entrepreneurs. Most of them are in the ranks of the\nunemployed even after training, today. \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 My reply created an uproar. The Secretary to\nthe Treasury, the highest official in the land objected on the grounds that\nsuch a self employment creation programme can never be achieved. He added that\nthe ILO had in the preceeding three years tried to establish a self employment\nprogramme in Tangail, Bangladesh and spent a massive amount of funds all in\nvain. I  argued with the Secretary to the\nTreasury for over two hours, quoting definite instances where I had\nsuccessfully established self employment projects for youths in Sri lanka.  It was an intense battle between me and the\nSecretary with the Hon Minister intently listening.  Finally the Minister stopped our battle. He\nimmediately approved my establishing a self employment pogramme.  The Secretary to the Treasury stumped with\nthe words, that he will never be providing any funds for this wasteful task. I\nreplied that I will find savings within approved training budgets which was\napproved by the Hon Minister. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I got cracking with the\nofficials of the Youth Ministry and the Lecturers of the Vocational Training\nInstitutes that provided the vocational training, providing them with a basic\nknowledge of national planning to identify \nareas within the economy where there was a propensity to create\nemployment opportunities and training them in economic endeavour-structuring\nprojects for self employment on a small scale-even with a cow or a dozen chicks\nand developing the enterprise. My task was to establish the self employment\nprogramme and to train the staff to continue after my two year consultancy\nended. To a man the officers responded and today this Youth Self Employment\nProgramme has by February 2011 guided \nover two millions to become self employed  and it is an ongoing  programme that trains and guides 160,00\nyouths a year to become self employed. Today, it is easily the premier\nprogramme of employment creation  the\nworld has known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This experience of mine\nitself indicates that though wind power for the task of creating power is at an\ninfancy today, we can easily develop it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me hope that the\ncontents of these papers which prove beyond all doubt that Wind Power can offer\nall the energy that Sri Lanka needs will someday find a Minister Aminul Islam\u201d\nwho will authorize it. I am certain  that\nthe administrators and engineers who will toil till it is a success can easily\nbe found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, the country will\nnot depend on the supply of coal and oil for power plants and the country can\nsave all the millions and billions  being\nspent today to import oil and coal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly it will provide\nemployment for thousands in erecting the turbine towers, in establishing the\nwind turbines and in the manufacture of the turbine mechanism itself at the\nlater stages. In my travels in France, Spain and Portugal I have seen workers\nmaking  the towers, blades, transporting\nthem in long trucks, erecting the towers and maintaining them. That is no\ndifficult task for our engineers and workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 One of my readers happened to be an engineer,\nMr Kanaga. who was involved with establishing the five wind turbines at\nHambantota, the first to be built in Sri lanka. What is most interesting in his\ncomment which I have totally enclosed in this book, is that the  environmental lobby had decided that the\nturbines should only be erected on the coasts and not in the mountains where\nthere is ample wind force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is sad that the\nenvironmentalists were silent when the entire Kotmale Valley was denuded of\npeople and their activities all to create 200 MW of power. That could have been\neasily achieved with fifty wind turbines scattered within Kotmale itself and\nthe inhabitants and the economy would have been spared extintion. The entirety\nof Kotmale is dead today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently the Kitulgala\nValley is being destroyed to build a dam to get some 38MW of power and the\nentire Kitulgala Valley for miles will face destruction. Why were the\nenvironmentalists silent when these two projects were approved and implemented?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kanaga, that engineer\nsupports my recommendation that  we\nshould use the wind in our mountain area to provide the energy we need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To my mind it is a crime\nnot to use the wind power available and to spend millions and billions to\npurchase oil and coal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am convinced that there\nis an Oil Lobby and a Coal Lobby well financed to prove that wind is not a\ndependable source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many opine that wind is\nundependable.  To them my answer is that\nthe wind is an utterly dependable source of energy. Spain has gone all out to\nbuild wind turbines and even sells power to France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks are due to engineer\nKanaga for his comments which are immensely valuable so that I have quoted them\nas an attachment to my paper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A reader of my Papers,\nSusantha Wijeytileke has even commented that once at Madugoda he saw a cyclist\nbeing blown off the road by the power of the wind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I must mention that I am\nnot alone in advocating the siting of wind turbines in the mountainous areas of\nSri Lanka. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Windfair, on line  editorial journalist  Trevor Sievert  quotes Lakshman Guruswamy, Sri Lanka has the\npotential to generate 24,000 MW electricity from wind.\u201d (http:\/\/w3.windfair.net\/wind-energy\/news\/1q543-sri-lanka-high-wind-energy-potential<\/a>)\nProfessor Guruswamy further states that studies have shown that nearly 5000\nsquare KM of windy areas are available for potential wind power generation in\nSri  Lanka.\u201d (Dated 12\/04\/2018.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In  www.windpower.lk<\/a>,\nit is stated that in wind power the potential for Sri Lanka  is 20,740MW\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wind\nPower in Sri Lanka,a publication by The Asia\nBusiness Office (\/\/www.asiabiomass.jp\/English\/topics\/1601_04.html) states that\nthe wind potential in Sri Lanka is 20,740 MW. In  its words there is strong potential for\nwind power in the North Western coastal regions of Northern Province, the\nhighland areas of the Central Province, Sabaragamuwa and Uva.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  In Sri Lanka Wind farm Analysis and Site\nSelection Assitance,  M. Young and R\nVilhauer of The Global Energy Concept, Kirkland, Washington state:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka has considerable available land with wind resource\npotential<\/em> sufficient for development. However, the  wind power capacity expansion is limited by\nthe electricity transmission infrastructure. CEB estimates that the grid cannot\naccommodate additional wind capacity more than 7% of the peak load. The CEB\nestimates that  installing more than 20MW\nof wind capacity in any given region may adversely impact local grid\ninstability and power quality.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Study  states that the windy land   can provide 50,000 MW.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is important to note\nthat it is not the lack of wind power that holds up the utilization of wind\npower to produce electricity. Instead it is the grid capacity. Tackling the\ngrid capacity is another kettle of fish. This is an area that has to be addressed.\nI will not be surprised if our  experts\nwho yet think that wind turbines should be built to harness the sea breeze and\nnot the wind power in our mountains  will\ncome up with another cock and bull story stating that a grid cannot be built. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the construction of the\nwind turbines at the Senok Wind Farm in Puttlam, where four wind farms\nestablished have a capacity of 40MW, it was found that the existing port\nfacilities in the main port of Colombo and the road network was found wanting\nfor the import of the turbine towers and blades. Instead these had to be\nobtained through barges from India.  The\nmaximum height of the turbine tower is 90 meters and each blade is 50 meters in\nlength. I have seen long towers and blades being transported by road in France\nand Spain. This needs special transport. In the hilly areas in Sri lanka it\nwill be more feasible to construct the towers and blades on site. These are\nareas that have to be addressed in any development. Where there is a will,\nthere is also a way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My thanks are also due to\nthe Editor of the Sunday Observer.lk who in Let there be Light” (Sunday\nObserver:06\/09\/2009) commented that my suggestions are very valuable. Referring\ntro my suggestion that the wind power in the Central Highlands should be\nharnessed says, This is a timely and valid proposal and the authorities\nshould take  appropriate action to locate\nwind turbines in  areas which will enable\nthem to reach their maximum potential.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am also thankful for Noor\nNizam for his Wind Energy Electricity generation is a reality\u201d (Sri Lanka\nGuardian:27\/08\/2009)  In his words, \nGarvin should be commended for his boldness to take to task the lethargic and\nselfish bureaucrats on this issue of renewal energy development of electricity\nenergy in Sri Lanka\u2026. His message should be well taken  by others too handling  national planning and development\nstrategies  to assist the little island\nof 21 million to come out of the rut of poverty, misery, the destruction of the\ncivil war and the dependence on foreign powers<\/em>.\u201d  He adds in the affirmative, As Garvin\nKarunaratne  wishes Wind Energy\nElectricity Generation  will be a reality\nin Sri Lanka for the next generation\u201d.<\/em> \nIt is my fervent hope that this will be realized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last paper  states of how the new owner of the Hambantota\nPort has insisted on a massive payment as ground rent for the five wind\nturbines. The CEB has decided to dismantle the five wind turbines.  This is a sad epitaph for wind power use in\nSri Lanka. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However the contents of\nthis book convinces any sane thinking person that wind power can be harnessed.\nWe have to learn from mistakes, not make the mistakes rule us. As a country we\nhave to find ways and means of forging ahead, \nheedless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This study proves  beyond\nall doubt that there is ample wind capacity in Sri Lanka for self sufficiency\nin our power requirements through harnessing the wind.. There is no question\nabout this. However, as in any field of development, be it agriculture or\nindustry, there are problems that have to be surmounted.  As stated the national grid has to be\ndeveloped to carry the power from areas where it is generated to the areas\nwhere the power is consumed. Perhaps there can be local grids to carry the\npower generated from  a local wind farm to\na local district capital. For instance if wind farms are located in Dela on the\nKirigalpotta hillock, a grid can carry the power to the town of Ratnapura. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lankan engineers have in ancient times done wonders. The\ngradient of the Jaya Ganga that carried the waters of the Kala Weva to the tanks\nin Talawa and Anuradhapura has been constructed at a gradient of six inches in\na mile, a gradient that baffles the irrigation engineers of today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am dead certain that Sri Lanka can become self sufficient in all\nits power requirements not for its present stage but also for its future\ndevelopment through using wind power. The wind power in the Central and\nSabaragamuwa Hills is vast. Methods and systems have to be found to harness\nthis energy. However as long as we build wind turbines on the coastal areas and\nignore the areas where there is real wind power and satisfy ourselves with\nstudies of the difficulties and constraints, \nour attempt will be like  that of\na squirrel trying to empty the water in the ocean , carrying a bit of water on\nits tail,  endless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE  END<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garvin Karunaratne Ph.D. Michigan State University<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author of How the IMF Ruined Sri Lanka & Alternative\nProgrammes of Success(Godages:2006), How the IMF Sabotaged Third World\nDevelopment(Kindle\/Godages:2017)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

04\/02\/2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Garvin Karunaratne I bequeath to my readers the Conclusion of my book: Wind Power for Sri Lanka\u2019s Power Requirements. It in unfortunate that our authorities in establishing wind turbines in Sri Lanka have so far ignored  the mountainous areas where there is ample wind power.  My mind travels to a book by John Perkins, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-by-garvin-karunaratne"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98616","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=98616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98616\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}