First solar power project inaugurated
Suraj A Bandara
Sri Lanka’s first solar power plant established at Gonnoruwa in Hambantota will add 500 KWs to the national grid.
 A large-scale solar plant with a capacity of 500 kw was inaugurated at Baruthakanda Hambantota yesterday with the participation of Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka. Namal Rajapaksa MP, V.K. Indika MP, Korean ambassador Choi Jhon Moon. The project, was funded by Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Here, Minister Ranawaka presents a memen to the Korean ambassador. Picture by M. Irfan Zakariya, Hambantota Thinakaran Special Corr. |
It was inaugurated yesterday with the participation of Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara, Hambantota District Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa and ambassador of the Republic of Korea Choi Jong Moon .
The Korean government through the Korea International Corporation Agency (KOICA) financed this solar power plant at a cost of Rs. 412 million.
The Sustainable Energy Authority under the concept of - ‘electricity for all’ will handle the total project.
This power plant generates 2,300 units of electricity daily and generates 839,500 kilowatt hours annually.
Power generated by this solar power plant to the national grid will save 200,000 litres of diesel annually and emission of 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide to the environment will be stopped.
Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka addressing the ceremony said the pledges given by him when he was assigned the Power and Energy Ministry has become a reality and the ministry has become an institution where public are served efficiently as promised.
He was optimistic that the concept - ‘electrify for all by 2012’ will be achieved as promised.
The ministry will provide solar power units to difficult areas that cannot be served using the national grid at a concessionary rate. The solar power plant project was initiated to test the country’s potential to develop solar power as a key power source. Only six percent of renewable energy is being used and by 2020 around 20 percent of renewable energy will be harnessed to feed the national grid, he said.
Hambantota District Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa said he will take steps to make Hambantota an environment-friendly district with the development of solar power. Another 600 acres of land will be given for this from Hambantota district, he said.
The ministry has lined up several large scale solar power projects in the North and East as well as in the North Central Provinces. Solar power is expected to play a major role in the country’s power generation in future.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/08/09/news35.asp
Korea share Renewable Energy Technology with Sri Lanka
Korea share Renewable Energy Technology with Sri Lanka
The inauguration ceremony for the Solar Power Plant at Hambantota, constructed by the Government of the Republic of Korea, through the Korea International Corporation Agency (KOICA), was held yesterday (8).
Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Choi Jong-Moon, KOICA Representative and Chairman of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority and other dignitaries were present.
The Korean Government designated the strategy of ‘Low Carbon, Green Growth’ as a national vision and initiated a national 5-year plan for Green Growth. Under this plan, the proportion of Green ODAs, which accounted for 11 per cent in 2007, will be increased to 30 by 2020. To support for the Green ODA expansion plans, KOICA initiated the East Asia Climate Partnership(EACP) to share Korea's knowhow and technology of green growth sectors such as water, low-carbon renewable energy and environmental sustainability with developing countries through ODA projects.
Under this KOICA EACP, this 3 million US dollar scale project for 500kW grid connected solar power generation plant was commenced at the Energy Park in Hambantota on October last year and completed this April. The Power plant, equipped with solar panel modules, inverters and transformers and computerized monitoring system produced by LG CNS, currently generates average 2 Kilowatt per day and provides more than 500 rural households in the area with electricity.
The plant will contribute not only to easing shortage of electricity supply in the rural areas but to strengthening relationship in renewable energy sector between Korea and Sri Lanka.
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