Construction of first industrial bio gas plant

The German Cultural Centre in Colombo Goethe- Institut, Ruhuna University and Ambewela farms have joined to construct an industrial level bio gas plant for the first time in Sri Lanka with the assistance of German scientists to generate electricity to the grid.

Bio gas technology which is getting wider popularity in developed and developing countries including India, China, European Union as a green energy source seems to create a big revolution in the years to come as a viable option to address the world burning issues in energy and waste management sectors, Senior chair of the Department of Agriculture Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna Prof. Dr. K.D.N. Weerasinghe said.

"The potential of the bio gas technology is enormous since it could have three fold fronts to address the energy crisis by resolving the mess in waste management while producing energy and organic fertilizer for agriculture without leaving any traces of harmful byproducts which can add to the environment degradation," he said.

Bio gas is produced as a result of a simple bio technology, which does not use any chemicals or hazardous materials other than exploiting naturally existing anaerobic bacteria.

These bacteria has an ability to decompose complex organic materials in an oxygen free environment to get the energy for their survival by liberating bio gas as byproducts.

The Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka, GAASL and the Department of Agriculture Engineering, University of Ruhuna took up the project and co-operate with the aim of establishing bio gas as a source of locally available and renewable energy in Sri Lanka since 2006.