Shift to Biomass Energy – Urges Minister Siyambalapitiya
dailynews.lk, 14th February 2017, By Sajni De Silva
Fifty percent of the country’s energy consumption could be met using bio mass energy without polluting the environment, Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said.
He made these remarks at the opening of a Giliricidia cultivation project in Eppawala and the foundation stone laying ceremony for the dendro power plant to be established in Muwangama, Kurunegala on Sunday.
This project will be executed as a joint project with the participation of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and Power and the Renewable Energy Ministry. The minister said 40 percent of the import expenditure of the country includes the expenses incurred to acquire coal and fuel from overseas.
“We have to focus on alternative energy sources such as Gliricidia bio mass power generation to reduce this expenditure. Therefore, the project of cultivating Gliricidia plants in over 2,000 hectares will form the basis to generate dendro power within the country,” he said.
Siyambalapitiya said dendro power plants would be established island wide.
The public will also be able to contribute for the expansion of dendro power within the country by means of self employment, he added.