Ministry aims to convert to renewable energy resources

Disna MUDALIGE

"The target of the Power and Energy Ministry is to fulfill 10 percent of the country's energy requirement through non conventional energy resources by 2015," said Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

He said that shifting to renewable energy sources is the best option to face the approaching global fossil fuel crisis.

He observed that the extensive use of fossil fuel as the world continues to do today, will lead to numerous environment and energy crises in the near future.

He was addressing the SAARC Training Programme on Energy Management and Energy Auditing organized by the SAARC Energy Centre in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority at the Ceylon Continental Hotel yesterday.

The minister also said that Sri Lanka still largely depends on imported energy resources. He noted that 43 percent of the primary energy resources are imported to the country at present. He said that the ministry's main hope is to gradually convert to renewable energy resources. "As a national policy we are promoting the use of renewable energy resources as much as possible. By 2020, we target to generate 20 percent of the national energy requirement from non conventional energy resources," he said.

The minister noted that moves are under way to introduce energy management regulations to the country shortly. "The energy sector is one key area under the Mahinda Chinthana vision to be developed as an energy hub of the region. As SAARC countries we have the opportunity to corporate with each other for efficient energy management and conservation," he said.

SAARC Energy Centre Technology Transfer Programme Leader Dr Muhammad Pervaz said that 1.7 billion people in South Asia are still denied of the access to electricity.

He added that the centre worked for an action plan for energy conservation and efficiency improvement during the 16th SAARC Summit last year.

Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority Chairman Kithsiri Dissanayake also spoke.

A delegation from SAARC countries and institutional heads under the ministry attended the inauguration of the four day programme.