Sri Lanka's first solar power street lighting project

Chamikara Weerasinghe

BATTARAMULLA: Highways Minister Jeyeraj Fernandopulle opened Sri Lanka's first solar power street light project in Sri Lanka recently at Palawatta on the Battaramulla - Thalawathugoda main road.

The project was launched on a concept by Minister Fernandopulle to encourage the participation of local companies to develop innovative highway solutions to improve the road network of Sri Lanka, Ministry sources said.

Success Holdings, a local company for innovative solutions, has developed the solar power street light system along the road stretch from Palawatta to Kottawa, under the guidance of Minister Fernandopulle.

Chief Executive Officer of Success Holdings (pvt) Ltd., Asanka De Alwis said that their company had invented the current system with the support given by Minister Fernandopulle, Road Development Authority (RDA) Chairman M.B.B.S.Fernando and RDA Western Province Director T.L.M.Fernando among others.

"The system is fully owned by the company. The wiring system, functioning method, even the lamp posts are manufactured by the company under the brand name North-bridge," Alwis said.

The company has developed other energy saving effective methods after this. Success Holdings is now having solar based solutions for other highway-related problems, he said. "We are in a position to provide intelligent traffic systems, railway crossing systems which comply to international standards to meet any requirement in Sri Lanka," said Alwis.

Meanwhile , RDA General Manager R.W.R.Premasiri said that the RDA had promoted solar power street lighting as an energy saving cost effective method for Sri Lankan roads. "The Authority has promoted local entrepreneurs on the directions of Minister Fernandopulle. Steps will be taken to promote them based on their performances," he said.