Energy crisis:

Minister stresses need for low cost solutions

Disna Mudalige

Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa stressed the need of innovative technologies with low cost solutions in the near future to address the energy crises as well as the climate change problems. He was addressing the Third International Parliamentary Climate Change Conference on Wednesday at Westminster.

"Though Sri Lanka has been emitting only a meager amount of carbondioxide mainly because of the frugal life style of the people, it is not like to remain so in the near future. With the increasing demand for electricity to extend the grid supply to cover the entire island, particularly after cessation of hostilities in the country, the government is compelled to go for coal based electricity generation as the least cost option, despite the risks of pollution of air, land and waterways" he said.

He also noted that, since coal generates the highest amount of carbondioxide per unit of electricity among different sources of electricity, it should be the last option if we give priority for mitigation of emissions. "Sri Lanka has been depending largely on renewable sources to meet its energy requirements hitherto, with nearly 50 percent coming from biomass. Even in the generation of electricity, 40 percent came from hydro sources in recent years. In order to make this development process a sustainable development, we realize that Sri Lanka will have to go for emission-less or at least low-emission power generation.