Hambantota is to switch on its first fully fledged solar-power park – providing 1237 Kilo Watts of energy to a large number of households as well as public buildings, street lights and places of worship in the area, Ceylon Electricity Board sources said.
The governments of Japan and Korea have granted financial assistance to set up the solar-power park at Baruthankanda located in the southern Hambantota district where a majority of the population in the village lives without power. Access to electricity in Sri Lanka is heavily concentrated in urban areas.
The first phase of the solar power project is to be funded by the Japanese government, and the second by the Korean government.
Japan has granted Rs.1,024 million to build a solar power station with a solar power system and it will add 737 Kilowatts of power to the national grid. This project is scheduled to be completed by August this year. The site preparation work is now underway, CEB sources said.
Plans are underway to set up another solar power station at Baruthankanda site under the second phase of the solar power park project with a total installed capacity of 500 KW with Korean Government assistance of Rs. 114 million.
It will be commissioned by June this year. The Japanese and Korean grant was in support of the Sri Lankan government’s efforts to address climate change and access to clean energy, a senior official of the CEB said. The fuel usage for thermal power generation could be saved by 429,000 litres per annum. It will also prevent the emission of 963 tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere annually, he added.
He revealed that there are now 15 solar energy companies operating in Sri Lanka creating employment for young people. At recent European solar energy conferences, Sri Lanka has been identified as the 'Hot Spot of Solar Energy Applications'.
The island's industries are also trying to reduce energy costs, which are the highest in Asia, according to recent studies. According to a regional comparison of electricity prices, Sri Lanka is the most expensive for customers. |
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