Four Wind Power Plants Add 33MW to Sri Lankan National Grid

25th August 2010, www.dailynews.lk, By Indunil Hewage

Hayleys Group and WindForce (Pvt) Ltd are currently building a 10 megawatt wind power plant at Nirmalapura at Kalpitiya in the Puttalam district with a total investment of Rs 2.3 billion.

The new plant will be known as Nirmalapura Wind Power Ltd. WindForce is a company owned by Seguwantivu Wind Power and Vidatamunai Wind Power.

Seguwantivu Wind Power and Vidatamunai Wind Power Chief Executive Officer Manjula Perera said construction work of the plant is scheduled to be completed by April next year. The farm of wind turbine generators will have seven turbines when completed with each turbine producing 1.5 megawatts of power, generating electricity making use of the strong gust of winds from the Indian Ocean.

Currently a three megawatt windpower plant has been built by the Government in Hambantota. Three other wind power plants are being operated in the country. These are the ten megawatt Seguwantivu Wind Power, Ten megawatt Vidatamunai Wind Power and ten megawatt Senok Wind Power. Currently, 33 megawatts are being added to the national power grid by these four wind plants.

Two more plants, the ten megawatt Nirmalapura Wind Power and ten megawatt PowerGen Lanka plant are under construction.

Construction work of ten megawatt Lanka Transformers and 35 megawatt K L S Energy Lanka have not commenced yet.

So far, licences have been issued to generate over 90 megawatts of electricity using wind power by the Ceylon Electricity Board. There is potential to generate at least 500 megawatts within the next three years using wind power in the country.

Related Info:
Sustainable Energy Authority - Winnd Projects
India Invests $ 18.2mn in Sri Lanka Wind Power Project
Two Wind Power Plants in Puttalam, Sri Lanka

India Invests $ 18.2mn in Sri Lanka Wind Power Project

12th August 2010, www.island.lk

The Board of Investment granted investment approval to Powergen Lanka Limited to set up a 10 MW wind power plant in Puttalam with an investment amounting to US$ 18.55 million from India, the BOI announced yesterday.

"The agreement signed with Powergen Lanka Limited for a project to generate wind power will establish the plant in Uppudaluwa, Puttalam. The project representing an investment of US $ 18.55 million is an Indian investment.

The venture is expected to commence operations by June 2011. The project will utilise seven 1.7 MW wind turbines for the power generation process. Narasimhan Ramkhumar, Director of Powergen Lanka stated that around 75% of the power generation from the wind turbines during the year will be in April to October," the BOI said in a statement.

Directors of the company Mr. Rohan Iriyagolla and Mr. Narasimhan Ramkhumar signed the agreement on behalf of the company.

Jayamapathi Bandaranayake, Chairman / Director General signed the agreement on behalf of the BOI and formally presented the BOI Certificate of Registration to the investors.

Sri Lanka's Raigam to Invest in Salterns and Chemical Plants

24th April 2010, www.dailynews.lk

After the successful completion of the initial public offering (IPO), trading of Raigam Wayamba Saltern shares will commence on April 29 at the Colombo Stock Exchange.

The funds raised through the IPO will be utilized to increase salt production and meet the country's salt requirements, said Raigam Group Chairman/CEO Dr. Ravi Liyanage.

Raigam will invest in three salterns in Tangalle, Trincomalee and Puttalam.

"We expect to complete the Tangalle Saltern construction soon. Seventy five percent of the work has been completed under this project. We have imported a refinery machine to the Saltern costing Rs.125 million," he told a press conference, yesterday.

"Wayamba Saltern is a subsidiary of Raigam Group and we will establish a chemical plant in Trincomalee with an invest of over Rs.500 million.

This will follow as the second phase of the Saltern in Trincomalee," he said.

He said this chemical plant will cater to the local and the export market.

Phase II of Norochcholai Coal Power Plant Started. 600MW to be Added to National Grid

19th March 2010, www.dailynews.lk, By Chaminda Perera

President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the construction work on phase II of Norochcholai coal power plant yesterday. Sri Lankan and Chinese Engineers, Ministers, higher officials of the Chinese Embassy and the Power and Energy Ministry were present.
The Phase II of the project will add 600MW to the national grid by 2012. The first phase of the project is expected to add 300 MW by November this year.

The Chinese Government provided the total cost of the project in form of a concessionary loan. The China Engineering and Manufacturing Corporation is implementing the project.

This coal fired theramal power plant which was initially planned to be implemented in 1985 was initiated by the UPFA Government under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa after a lapse of 20 years.

The country ‘s total electricity production by 2005 was 2407MW but Sri Lanka did not have a proper plan to meet the electricity demand which increases by 10% a year.

A number of power stations were planned in the country by this Government in compliance with the Mahinda Chinthanaya policy framework which has earmarked to make the country as the energy hub of Asia. The Kerawalapitiya power station which commenced operation last week, added over 300 MW to the national grid.

The country’s energy sector will receive a tremendous boost within a few years with the completion of several key power generation projects.

The Government has already started to upgrade the hydro power stations such as Lakshapana, Ukuwela, and several other hydro power stations.

Image: President Mahinda Rajapaksa who inaugurated construction work on phase II of the Norochcholai coal power plant with Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka Yang Xiuping. (Picture by Sudath Malaweera)

German Toymaker Fehm GMBH Starts a Plant in Sri Lanka

18th March 2010, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka's investment promotion agency said German toymaker Fehm GMBH has started a manufacturing plant in the island's north-western Puttalam district.

A subsidiary, Toymakers Pvt Ltd, will manufacture educational toys aimed at children up to the age of five years for the export market, the Board of Investment said in a statement.

The factory at Unawaliwatta, in Madurankuliya, Puttalam, comes under the BOI’s 300 Enterprises Programme, that gives additional incentives to investors who start projects in rural, under-developed areas.

BOI approval usually gives investors tax breaks and duty-free imports of machinery and raw material.

"In the location of their factory, Toymakers, opted for one of the most 'difficult areas' where infrastructure is rudimentary and conditions less conducive for investment," the BOI statement said.

"Hence the 350 jobs that will ultimately be created by the company will be very significant for the people of Mandurankuliya."

The BOI said the global market for toys is valued at about 150 billion US dollars.

"The exponential growth in real disposable incomes of the populations of India, China and other Asian states has led to an increase in demand for toys in those countries."

The BOI said about 20 percent of the production of Mattel is sold in India. Mattel, which makes the famous Barbie doll, has annual sales of six billion dollars.