Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Lanka’s first Dendro power plant commissioning soon

Nimal Wijesinghe A’pura Additional District group correspondent

Sri Lanka’s first dendro based power project will be commissioned soon at the hamlet of Kattimuruchchana in Thirappane Divisional Secretariat division in Anuradhapura district.

The Labunoruwa, Kattamurichchana Dendro power plant is expected to provide 2.5 MW of green electricity to the national grid by using gliricidia (Albesia) wood fuel. The plant was initiated and processed during the past three years by the Human and Community Youth Organization (HCDYO) at Labunoruwa in Thirappane under the patronage of Helios Thirappane Biopower Project Pvt Ltd incorporated with the Helios Renewable Energy Pvt and Emergent Venture India (EIV). The initial investment is Rs 380 million. Project Development Engineer P.R. Wijewardane told the Daily News that the construction work of Sri Lanka’s first Dendro based power plant is completed.

This project will be upgraded to a capacity of 2.5 MW by April next year to provide 2,500 KW to the National grid, he said.

Around 1,000,000 Gliricidia saplings have been planted in Thirappane area with 3,000 farmer families participating in the cultivation process.

“The Kattamarichchan plant requires 110 tons of Gliricidia wood fuel per day. The annual wood fuel requirement is nearly 33,000 tons valued at Rs 110 million. The farmer families involved in the project will get an additional income of Rs 10,000 monthly per family through wood fuel sales. Organic fertilizer processing project and a plant based on Gliricidia leaf is being established with the assistance of the Agrarian Services Development Authorities.

2 comments:

  1. That is not Green when you cut down and kill that many trees per day!

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  2. At least better than coal.
    If Gliricidia is grown in agricultural lands that would be disastrous but additional income is a good thing for farming families.

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