At present, Sri Lanka is facing several power outages. Due to the prevailing dry weather, the power generation capacity of hydro power plants has dropped by close to 20 percent. All hydropower plants are still operating at full capacity and will only be able to do so for a few more days.
The power crisis was exacerbated by a fault in a generator at the Norochcholai coal power plant as well as difficulties in supplying fuel to the Kelanitissa and Sapugaskanda power plants. This is not the first power outage faced by Sri Lanka, and we have faced many such power outages in history. In the history of Sri Lanka, there is a history of using natural resources to carry out daily activities. We are acutely aware of the need for natural resources. Therefore, it is wiser to switch to renewable energy as a solution to the energy crisis than to point a finger at the Government.
Sulakshana Jayawardana, Director General of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, explained renewable energies to the Sunday Observer in an interview.
Q: What is renewable energy?
A: There are various types of energy. For example, coal, water, biomass, solar energy, wind energy, and so on. In terms of energy sources, some energy sources run out of energy over time. For example, it takes millions of years to refine coal. Coal is being depleted due to current consumption. The same goes for natural gas. But when it comes to renewable energy sources, their use alone does not deplete them.
For example, if we mention solar power, we can use solar energy today as well as tomorrow. If we mention water, hydropower plants can generate electricity today as well as tomorrow. So, renewable energy sources are eco-friendly sources that can be used for a period of time without depletion when they are used.
Q: Are these renewable energies used in Sri Lanka and how?
A For example, renewable energy has contributed about 37 percent to generating electricity in our country for the year 2020. Major hydro power plants, small-scale hydro power plants, solar power plants, wind power plants, as well as biomass power plants have mainly contributed to this power generation process, and these power plants are still used to generate electricity.
Q: How is the global usage of renewable energies?
A: Almost all countries use this renewable energy. In particular, the natural resources that are endemic to those countries can be used in many countries. And also, some other countries use renewable energy plants based on the potential of their own renewable energy sources, such as wind and water.
Some countries aim to obtain significant amounts of renewable energy. One factor influencing this is that if renewable energy is available on a competitive basis or at an equal or lower cost than electricity generated using other fossil fuels, it is important to use more renewable energy. And with the advancement of technology in the world today, the cost of renewable energy has come down significantly.
Therefore, the use of those energies is very advantageous. Also, renewable energy is at a very high level in terms of eco-friendliness. In fact, the damage to the environment is minimal with renewable energy. With the technological changes brought about by the industrial revolution, there is a tendency for global warming to change the environment, such as CO2 emissions. This problem is being discussed in many countries. Under these circumstances, countries tend to reduce the use of fossil fuels to generate energy as one of the ways to prevent global warming.
Along with these issues, a lot of research is being done on the development of the renewable energy sector. Also, targeted programs are being implemented in all countries in the world.
Q: What are the benefits of using this renewable energy?
A: The first is eco-friendliness. Here, the damage to the environment is minimal. For example, in a hydroelectric power plant, no emissions occur. Even in the process of generating electricity in a wind farm, no emissions occur. But if we generate electricity in a coal power plant, it will release carbon dioxide and other gases. It is harmful to the environment. Global warming is on the rise, especially as carbon dioxide levels rise. Also, in terms of cost, it has an advantage.
The cost of generating electricity in a large-scale hydro power plant in Sri Lanka is between Rs.1.50 and Rs.5. Small-scale hydropower plants usually cost around Rs.14-15. Also, generating electricity using fossil fuels or diesel costs around Rs.30–35. In that case, the use of renewable energy has the potential to reduce costs.
We can also talk about the impact of this on the economy. We depend on fossil fuels to spend a significant portion of our export earnings on importing fossil fuels. But if energy sources are used locally, there is a potential to reduce the cost of fuel imports to generate electricity. In this situation, the trademarks of the country are greatly affected.
From a health point of view, certain issues have arisen in coal power plants in the recent past. But renewable energy plants have the potential to reduce it.
Socially, some people do not want power plants to be built in the area where they live. But the damage from renewable energy plants is relatively less than from other power plants. The social, economic, and environmental benefits can be greatly enhanced through the use of renewable energy.
Q: Are there any bad effects of using renewable energy?
A: The impact of relatively renewable energy power plants is minimal. The impact is less when comparing a power plant like a high-thermal power plant. But there is some impact. Especially in the case of power plants, the construction has to be done using a certain stream of water.
Then there is some environmental impact. But that was not the case after the plant was built since issuing the minimum required environmental water flow is, how power plants that operate in accordance with the environmental laws of this country operated.
Accordingly, it is working by releasing the minimum amount of water required. The damage to the environment during the operation of the power plant is less than during the construction period.
Also, if you consider a wind power plant, sometimes social problems can arise due to the noise generated during its operation. However, the design of these power plants is done in such a way as to minimise the impact on the settlements. These are identified in environmental studies and social studies and follow the necessary precautionary measures to minimise the damage.
We are not able to get solar energy 24 hours a day. During the day, we are able to use solar energy. If we consider the wind power plants, they also receive that wind flow according to each season, that is, the normal wind blowing periods, whether it is the southwest monsoon or the northeast monsoon.
Then it is during that period that we have the potential to generate more energy. Renewable energy sources are subject to these naturally occurring constraints.
But nowadays, new technology is evolving. As a result, facilities such as batteries have been used to store electricity. Also, new technologies have emerged regarding hydropower plants.
Two reservoirs are used for hydropower generation, and water is carried from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir. Then the water released from the upper reservoir is used to generate electricity when there is a need for electricity.
There is no net power generation here. But when there is more renewable energy, we have the ability to use that power to lift water from the reservoir below. The hope is to use the excess energy to some extent without wasting it. The Ceylon Electricity Board is currently conducting feasibility studies in this regard.
There, they are looking for suitable places to build such power plants. The next problem we have is that when we take a system, we have to confirm the technicalities like frequency and voltage when activating the power supply for the system.
This is because the supply we give must be a reliable, quality supply.
In order to ensure quality and reliability, a continuous power supply is required. At the same time, these frequencies and voltages must be based on the standards we have set. Therefore, there is a possibility of operating renewable energy power plants with these factors in mind. At the same time, new technologies should be introduced in this country.
We are talking about the power crisis in this country, but I do not really see it as a crisis, because that is a challenge. This is a situation that hangs over every day. Almost every year during this period, challenges arise regarding power generation. A crisis is something that happens in an instant. We sometimes do not even predict that. But as a challenge, this situation happens every year.
Therefore, it is a normal situation. If we can, we should use more solar power plants during this time, because we all know that Sri Lanka receives a significant amount of sunshine during this time, which means we can generate more solar power in less cloudy conditions and low rainfall conditions. It already has a capacity of over 415 MW mounted on the roofs that customers build with their investments.
This capacity contributes significantly to providing the system with the capacity needed to generate electricity these days. Also, on-site power plants with a capacity of approximately 96 MW have been constructed. These power plants also make a significant contribution.
But when it comes to wind plants, there is a certain level of shortage these days because the wind flow is not active these days. The winds come again in April. With this condition, the wind is able to generate electricity for a certain period of time but we can use more solar power.
And also, we can use biomass and trees like Albizia (Watamara, Ladappa) to generate electricity. And also, we can see the power plants that generate electricity by using by-products such as Dahaiya (rice husk), wood chips, and sawdust. And there is a power plant in the area of Kerawalapitiya that generates electricity at a rate of 10 MW using garbage.
If we can promote such power plants, we will continue to receive significant contributions from those power plants. In the case of hydropower plants, the contribution of small-scale hydropower plants decreases to some extent during this period. This is because the flow of water required for those power plants is less these days.
Therefore, hydropower plants are facing some challenges during this period. But there is a potential for solar, wind, and biomass power plants to make some contributions. Solar power plants are more likely to contribute to this situation. It would be a great advantage if the solar power plant could be further added to the system. But there are technical issues.
Especially in the case of a solar power plant, we know that sometimes its variables will occur. While we are generating electricity, sometimes the power generation can be reduced for some reason, like if there is a rainy cloud. At such times, solar power can decrease. But if we can solve those problems technically and build more solar power plants, we will be able to win this challenge.
Q: How could one make people aware of this challenge?
A As the Energy Authority, we believe that energy efficiency and conservation are always important, because energy is a resource. If we waste energy and use it inadvertently, we are more likely to lose energy. For example, if we are ignorant when it comes to buying electrical appliances, it means that consumers are sometimes tempted to buy electrical appliances at a lower cost because they thought it was an economic benefit. But over time, that is likely to change.
For example, if we buy a filament bulb, its market value will be between Rs.80-100. But we have an LED that is an efficient light bulb that costs around Rs.500. But despite the high cost, LED bulbs are more efficient. Therefore, both the cost and the efficiency of the product should be taken into consideration when we purchase electrical equipment.
Moreover, we have to buy goods according to our own needs. For example, if there are two or three people in the house, they have the availability to purchase a one-door refrigerator, but customers are tempted to buy two or three-door refrigerators with modern facilities. If they have the ability to purchase those, it’s no problem at all, but consumers need to get used to buying goods according to their needs.
The next thing is how we use electricity. According to our system, the highest demand for electricity is between 6.30 pm and 10.30 pm. It would be advantageous if we could avoid this period. For example, if the work done during this period can be done before or after this period, the impact on the system will be less. At this peak time, the challenge itself intensifies. One way to overcome this challenge is to use electricity wisely. In the recent past, the supply of electricity has been restricted in certain areas.
Those situations can be avoided. A feature of the system is that it has the capacity to meet the demand. Otherwise, the system will crash. For the system to function properly, statistics and voltage must be properly managed. If the demand for electricity increases, the required capacity should be provided to the system.
If there is no way to supply the required capacity to the system, either new capacity must be added to the system. Otherwise, a certain amount of electricity demand should be deducted. That is what has been going on in recent days.
Because if the demand for electricity is higher than the capacity of the system, then it is essential to have some control over the demand for electricity. So if we have some control by the electricity consumers themselves in addition to artificially controlling the demand for electricity, it is very important to understand this situation.
Consumers do not really have a proper understanding of the electrical system. They think they have electricity to use on time. That’s right. But that practice must be done with understanding. Otherwise, electricity consumers will have to bear higher costs and the system will be damaged. This is our responsibility.
Q: How to direct people to renewable energy?
A We have provided opportunities for electricity consumers install solar panels on their own roof. Electricity can be obtained through investments. Consumers have the ability to connect a power plant or a generating system to themselves. We hope that consumers will be able to earn a certain amount of revenue as soon as they meet their electricity needs.
In our country, the territory is limited. Then, if the roof of a house is used, the country can have a significant impact on power generation, both socially and economically. So the electricity consumer also has the ability to connect with solar generation programs. In the past, we have implemented a low interest rate concessional loan scheme with the Asian Development Bank, which was fully utilised last December, adding 70 MW of capacity to the system.
Also, arrangements are being made to register the companies that provide their services and the necessary standards for those devices have been introduced. Through this, we hope to provide those institutions with the quality services required for electricity consumption.
After-sales service should be confirmed. That means electricity consumers need to have confidence in this methodology because if the company does not intervene to provide the required services after purchasing the equipment, problems will arise.
That is why regulations have been introduced and even standards have been introduced for those devices. It has also given local investors the opportunity to build small-scale solar power plants. At that time, there will be transformers that have been identified with the capacity to build 75 KW solar power plants. By now, 7000 75-kilowatt power plants have been identified and connected to them. Any local investor can contribute to the implementation of the 7000. Also, proposals for the construction of large-scale power plants are being called for and those proposals are being evaluated.
Adding capacity to the system according to the needs of the system and achieving the policy objective of the country in the future, especially the policy goal of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to achieve 70 percent of the demand for electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030.
We will also develop infrastructure and provide facilities for private-sector investors. Also, the introduction of the online methodology is currently being planned. So we can all move to renewable energy to build an energy-safe country.