Natural gases - solution to energy wastage

Minister Premajayantha

There are solutions to energy wastage in Sri Lanka and it was necessary to have a proper plan to reduce wastage, said Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha, when he addressed the media yesterday at his Ministry.

"The Petroleum Industries Ministry plans to introduce natural gases as a solution for energy wastage.

"In some countries such as Japan and Korea, they have already taken measures to introduce natural gases to generate electricity. Nearly one third of Sri Lanka's petroleum oil imports are being used for electricity generation," the minister said.

He said the Ceylon Electricity Board was presently planning to introduce alternative energy for electricity generation.

Until the year 1995, Sri Lanka used hydro power for electricity generation, but today, more than 80 percent of the electricity produced in the country is from thermal energy.

"Nearly 20 billion rupees worth oil wastage takes place in the city of Colombo due to traffic congestion.

If we can find a solution traffic congestion, we could save a large amount of petroleum oil," the minister said.

The minister said the ministry had plans to develop some sub sectors of the petroleum industry, such as the lubricants industry and the agro chemical industry, as they were profitable endeavours. It is necessary to provide oil to areas such as aviation, electricity and rail ways, even though they are not profitable since they are essential services.