Senok opens first commercial wind power park :
Scope for wind power
Charumini DE SILVA
The country’s first commercial wind power park to be opened next
week.
Sri
Lanka has harnessed the full potential of hydro power and needs to focus
on wind as an alternate source of renewable energy.
There are many wind sites in the North and North Eastern parts of Sri
Lanka that could be developed for wind power generation. The national
grid is able to take in 10 percent of its energy from renewable energy,
Senok Group Financial Director, Pancherine Dias told Daily News
Business.
Senok is the first commercial wind power park to be opened next week.
It is located in the southern part of Kalpitiya in the Puttalam
district.
The total investment of the project is US$21 million. Senok has
invested 55 percent of this.
The World Bank has funded the rest.
The total capacity of the project is 30 megawatts. It is projected to
be completed in three phases.
Each phase will supply 10 megawatts to the national grid. Senok was
involved in developing wind energy in Sri Lanka for the last 10 years.
The company came up with the idea of setting up the wind power park due
to a corporate objective of diversification.
“There is much scope to develop 500 megawatts in the next five years
in Sri Lanka. Within the next five to six years wind energy will be a
sustainable industry in the country.
The country is heading towards a new era. It is timely for the
country to explore sources of alternative energy as it is a vital theme
for the entire world,” Dias said.
The wind plant is equipped with eight wind turbine generators. It has
created jobs for around 40 employees. Wind power is a cost effective and
environmental friendly source of energy.
Although the capital investment is high the running cost is much less
compared to hydropower generation. Wind power generation is also an
environmental friendly source of energy as it is considered as a clear
source of energy which is cost free.
Group Financial Director, Pancherine Dias, Resource Management
Associates Director, Sunith Fernando, Project Director H. De
Costa and Project Consultant, O. J. S. Perera at the press
conference. Picture by Sudath Nishantha |
Senok Resource Management Associates Director Sunith Fernando said
they need more technical expertise and assistance from countries such as
Denmark and India.
The country also needs concessionary funds and concessionary taxes
for these types of projects, as capital investment is comparatively
high.
“It is important that the country has taken a timely decision in
adapting to novel alternative energies. It is a key topic in the country
in seeking cost effective and environmental friendly energy sources,”
Fernando said.
Senok Project Consultant O. J. S. Perera said wind is a natural
source and it is limited for a certain season. The company has studied
and calculated the strength of the wind in different seasons.
“Southwesterly winds are much stronger than the northeasterly winds,”
Perera said.
“However, in terms of the wind resource potential, the mean annual
wind speed in the area varies from 7.0 - 7.5 m/s at 50m above ground
level. Therefore, this wind power park will provide high and low power
according to the strength of the winds,” he said.
Senok expects to commence phase two construction by the end this
year. |