Lanka yet to utilise agri waste for electricity generation

Shirajiv Sirimane

ELECTRICITY GENERATION: Agriculture waste could be converted to generate electricity and Sri Lanka is yet to utilise this potential, Secretary General, Indian Agricultural Association Sashi Kanth Jain said.

In an interview with the Daily News at the recently concluded SAARC academy at the Mahaweli Reach in Kandy he said India is efficiently using agricultural waste to generate electricity. "India uses straw, agricultural, rice and sugar cane waste to produce electricity.

"This is something which Sri Lanka too could follow," he said.

The Indian farmers are now earning additional income by selling agricultural waste to entrepreneurs who are producing electricity. "This also has an environmental advantage since it eradicates ecological problems," he said.

He said Indian investors are keen to set up 15 plants to generate electricity in Sri Lanka.

"When these plants are fully operational it can supply nearly 10 percent of the Lankan electricity demand," he said.

Unlike hydropower or coal power there is no need to depend on raw material such as water or coal since agricultural waste is always available. "The earnings from agricultural waste would be another advantage from this project," he said.

Jain said that they are now negotiating with the Federation of Chamber of Commerce to find a local partner for this project.