Sri Lanka Non Conventional Renewable Energy Contribution to the National Grid was 6.8pct in 2010 with New Projects

22nd February 2011, www.dailynews.lk, Harshini Perera

The contribution of non-conventional renewable energy sources to the national grid has increased to 6.8 percent last year. This was 5.5 percent in 2009.

Going in line with the Government expectation, the non-conventional renewable energy sector targets to have 10 percent contribution to the national grid by the end of 2015.

The number of non-conventional energy projects that commenced in 2010 were high at 90 compared with 85 in 2009. The non-conventional renewable energy sources have contributed to the national grid with 213 megawatts as at January 31, 2011.

The main contributor for non-conventional renewable energy is still held by mini hydro power and it is 172 megawatts as at January 31, 2011.

The capacity of the mini hydro power energy is generated by 84 projects operating in the prospective areas.

The second renewable energy source is the wind power which accounts for 30 megawatts from the production of three projects.

Biomass-agricultural and industrial waste power stands next with a contribution of 11 megawatts while solar power shows less contribution with two and one projects respectively, a Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) official told Daily News Business. Few foreign investors too have shown interest in investing in renewable energy projects.

“The approval process for projects should be faster than it prevails at present and there should be more Government cooperation to the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA). The Provincial Councils too delay the approval of projects. There should be special incentives given to developers without discouraging them,” Small Hydro Power Developers Association Secretary General S B Niyangoda said.

Related Info :
• Non-Conventional Renewable Energy (NCRE) to Supply 15pct of Sri Lanka's Need by 2015. Wind Power to Play a Major Role

• Sri Lanka's New Renewable Energy Tariffs Displace Wind as the Most Expensive

• High Potential for Wind Power in Sri Lanka. Five New Plants to be Built. 300MW of Power to be Added

• Sri Lanka to Build Mini-Hydro and Wind Power Plants

• $15mn Biomass Energy Investment on Dendro Plant for Gliricidia Fuel Wood to Supply National Grid 10MW

• Solar Energy Can Free Sri Lanka's Dependence on Fossil Fuels - Kanagalingam Gnanalingam, Rtrd Additional General Manager of Ceylon Electricity Board
• Power Costs to Reduce with Progressive Tariff Reforms - Energy Consultant Dr Tilak Siyambalapitiya

$15mn Biomass Energy Investment on Dendro Plant for Gliricidia Fuel Wood to Supply National Grid 10MW

10th December 2010, www.dailynews.lk By Harshini Perera

Mega Ten Bioenergy will start its production of biomass energy from Gliricidia fuel wood by 2011 end and the production will contribute to the national grid with 10 megawatts.

Shenzhen Full Dimension Sustainable Energy Investment Co Ltd of China (FUDEICO) together with IMS Holdings will invest US $ 15.23 million in this Gliricidia Sepium Biomass Power Station in Kumbukana in Moneragala district, Mega Ten Bioenergy Director Jinawara Dharmawardana said. The agreement for the joint venture investment was signed yesterday. Shenzhen Full Dimension Sustainable Energy Investment of China (FUDEICO) has invested 70 percent while IMS Holdings will invest the rest.

The construction of the power station will start in February 2011 and it could generate 60 direct job opportunities while there will be 100 indirect job opportunities in transporting and cultivating Gliricidia wood. “We have already obtained a 10 hectare plot of land on long lease from the Janatha Estates Development Board in Moneragala.”

The plant is in the full capacity of 12 megawatts while two megawatts will be utilised for factory use,” he said. IMS Holdings (Pvt) Ltd are currently negotiating to start a similar biomass production plant in Ridimaliyadda,Bibile with a capacity for 25 megawatts. IMS Holdings has signed a Standard Power Purchasing Agreement with Ceylon Electricity Board to sell a unit at Rs 18.56 for 20 years to the national grid.

The Gliricidia Sepium Biomass Power Station is the first biomass power station of the kind and has realized that there are possibilities of using sugarcane wastage as a biomass crop. The Government will introduce the use of natural gas to meet energy needs of Sri Lanka.

Image: Mega Ten Bioenergy Director Jinawara Dharmawardana, Electricity and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka and FUDEICO Chairman Dr. Xu Xing Zhong at the inauguration. Picture by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa.

Related Info:
Sri Lanka's New Renewable Energy Tariffs Displace Wind as the Most Expensive

Sri Lanka LOLC Invests in Dendro and Mini Hydro Plants

Sri Lanka to Focus on Renewable Energy. 300MW from Norochcholai Coal Power Plant by Year End

Sri Lanka's New Renewable Energy Tariffs Displace Wind as the Most Expensive

03rd December 2010, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka's new tariffs for renewable energy show that dendro (wood) would be more expensive than wind and municipal waste heat would be paid the highest tariff, displacing wind as the most expensive source.

New tariffs released by the Public Utilities Commission in November 2010 say that municipal waste fired plants would be paid 22.02 rupees a unit (kilowatt hour), up from 15.31 rupees listed last year, under the so-called flat tariff scheme.

Municipal waste disposal is increasingly becoming a problem in Sri Lanka.

Dendro or wood based energy would now be paid a higher 20.70 rupees, up from 18.56 rupees, while the exorbitant rate 23.07 rupee rate paid for wind under the previous scheme had been cut to 19.97 rupees.

Renewables plants under standard contracts cannot be 'dispatched' or dis-connected from the grid during off peak times. They only have an energy charge and no capacity charge.

There have been suggestions by industry experts to give a peak and off-peak tariff for dendro plants so that they will have an incentive to operate at peak times.

Plants such as wind and mini-hydros do not have 'storage' but biomass (including municipal waste) can be run when needed.

At the moment, the CEB's cheapest thermal plant run on residual oil has a energy charge (variable cost) about 9.45 rupees a unit, while private combined cycles costs up to 16.00 rupees.

Biomass from agricultural and industrial waste would be paid 14.53 rupees, up from 13.88 rupees. Waste head recovery plants would be paid 6.64 rupees down from 9.55 rupees earlier.

Mini-hydro plants fabricated locally will be paid 13.32 rupees and others will be 13.04 rupees a unit.

Renewable plants smaller than 10 MegaWatts are connected to Sri Lanka's state-run Ceylon Electricity Board's grid on 20-year standard power purchase agreements, either on the flat tariff scheme or on a tiered scheme.

Under the tiered tariff, plant operators are paid a higher rate in the early years with a commitment to pay a royalty after the end of year 16.