Teamwork prescribed to overcome electricity crisis

• Energy expert Dr. Siyambalapitiya highlights need for improved collaboration among sector stakeholders
• SL’s electricity consumption, which is lower compared to regional peers, projected to increase in near future    
• Highlights need for common platform to iron out differences and meet challenging renewable energy targets
• Wants PUCSL to step forward and make sure all energy sector stakeholders are equally treated 

Sri Lanka’s fast crumbling power sector needs improved collaboration among stakeholders where all are treated as equals, an energy expert said.

Close collaboration is essential as Sri Lanka’s electricity consumption is expected to increase in the near future, as the economy progresses.

Sri Lanka is a low energy-consuming country among its regional peers. The electricity consumption requirement at present is about 700 KW hours, per person, per annum. In India, the consumption requirement is about 1100 KW hours/person/year, whereas Malaysia it is at 5000 KW hours.

The island nation should expect and must gear up to face an increase in the electricity consumption even in a business as usual scenario in the near future, energy expert Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya said. “It is imperative that all stakeholders should be equal. And it is the job of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) to ensure that equality is practiced,”
stressed Dr. Siyambalapitiya.

He presented his view addressing an expert panel discussion on achieving low carbon development targets in the power sector.

Dr. Siyambalapitiya asserted the need for a level-playing field, where all stakeholders should come on to one platform, so that the ambitious goals set for the power sector, specially the renewable energy targets,
are met.

Sri Lanka aims to cater to 70 percent of its electricity demand using renewable
energy by 2030. According to Dr. Siyambalapitiya, an area of concern is the very large capacities of renewables that will have to be delivered over
long distances.

To ensure that demand can be effectively met with renewables, there has to be a rigorous and more organised structure to communicate and get the existing issues ironed out, he said.

Some of the issues include the need for a vast area of land and the need for a large number of transmission lines to have the transmission issues resolved.

“Even if you incorporate storage into new renewable energy parks, we have to accept the fact that the resource is not in the area people live or where businesses operate,” he pointed out.

Further, he stressed that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) continuing to make losses for 12 years straight does not contribute to the degree of confidence that is important to get the private sector to invest.

Reflecting similar sentiments, CEB Additional General Manager Rohan Seneviratne said for the State utility to become financially viable and cater to the electricity demand of the county without interruption, an integrated plan is essential.

“I agree. We need all stakeholders to come together. We need a nice integrated plan. No ad hoc ones. And this plan must be signed by all stakeholders so the outcome is a success. There is no use in pointing fingers and blaming each other for issues,” he said. (SAA)