Attitudinal change vital in energy conservation drive

By Jaliya WIJEYEKOON

Electricity is a basic need of modern human beings. The Government of Sri Lanka is in a position to satisfy this basic need at an affordable price mainly due to 40 years of untiring efforts of a person who lived during the first half of the 20th century. This person is none other than D. J. Wimalasurendra, the father of hydro power in Sri Lanka.

He started by demonstrating a technical option he believed in. He initiated the first mini hydro power plant in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1912 at Black Pool, using excess water from the Gregory Lake, Nuwara Eliya.

In 1918, Wimalasurendra delivered a keynote address to the Engineering Association of Ceylon titled ‘Economics of Power Utilisation in Ceylon’. In this address he highlighted that the harnessing of the Mahaweli River, Kehelgamu Oya, and Maskeli Oya for hydropower development would inaugurate an industrial era in this country.

The Aberdeen - Laxapana hydro power scheme commenced in 1924, but took almost two and a half decades to be completed and commissioned due to various unforeseen circumstances including the Second World War.

Sixty years passed by. During this period successive Sri Lankan governments tapped almost all the hydro potential in Sri Lanka to provide electricity to the people of the country.

However, hydro power generation was not sufficient to cater to the ever increasing demands of consumers and thermal and coal power projects were also commissioned to supplement the needs.

According to the latest statistics, over 92 percent of the people in the country enjoy the facility of electricity and the government intends to provide the service to all Lankans before the end of this year.

However, it should be stated that it is a gigantic task faced by the present government as the electricity demand is increasing at an unprecedented rate especially after the eradication of terrorism in 2009.

Infrastructure facilities in this regard have been provided by the Government to almost all parts of the country. The influx of foreign investments to the country and the population explosion over the last few years had been the principal reasons for the excessive demand for electricity at present.

With limited resources to further develop hydropower, and with the alarmingly escalating fuel prices, the Government is forced to take various measures to conserve electricity while pleadging to provide electricity to all countrymen by the end of the year.

The Sunday Observer had an exclusive interview with the Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka to ascertain the measures taken by the Government to conserve electricity to avoid an impending crisis. Excerpts are given below:

Q: Sri Lanka largely depends on hydro-electricity for its power and energy demands. With the decline of annual rainfall levels, what are the prospects of traditional sources of power generation?

A: Well, we have already exploited almost all hydropower generation capacities in the country. The rainfall during both monsoons of last year was the lowest in 50 years, leading to immense problems in generating hydropower, with the constant changing of climatic conditions it is not possible for us to largely depend on hydropower. The most viable and remedial measure is to conserve electricity as much as possible.

Q: Public demand for power is always on the increase with the population explosion. What does the future hold for us in this regard?

A: Yes, if you analyse the power requirements in the country on a regional basis, prior to the termination of terrorism the average requirement of the island was around seven to nine percent. However, since 2010, upto the present, electricity demand in the Eastern Province has increased to 70 percent while demand for electricity has risen to 90 percent in the Northern Province.

We have been spending billions of rupees to provide this facility mainly to these two provinces during the last two years. We have provided electricity to a large number of remote areas in the rest of the island during the last two years.

Q: We are generating thermal power to supplement the shortfall. How costly is this exercise?

A: The cost of thermal power has skyrocketed during the last few years and has escalated sixfold compared to the last three years. With fuel costs going up regularly, it is not possible for us to sustain our electricity unit costs any longer.

Q: Coal power is considered a cheap source of power generation. If it is so, what was the difficulty for the Indian-funded coal power station at Sampur to get off the ground?

A: Coal is not cheap in the world market today. It is a myth to believe that coal power would be cheap. When you assess and analyse the cumbersome process involved in coal power generation, you would see that the unit cost of power generated by coal is similar or even higher than that of hydropower. It was cheap about 20 years ago, but not now.

Q: Energy conservation is a prime need for energy-hit Sri Lanka. Can we be optimistic about the energy conservation culture and the degree of commitment shown by the public?

A: We have embarked on two energy conservation programs to educate the public about the necessity of energy conservation. Eg - short-term and long-term plans.

Short-term plan

1. We requested all house holders to switch off at least one lamp and shut down the refrigerator for one hour per day between 6.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.

2. We have introduced competitions among schoolchildren, in their schools and houses, to minimise the use of electricity, we offer lucrative prizes.

3. All local bodies in the island have been informed to save electricity as much as possible and not to waste electricity on street lighting unless at essential locations.

Long-term plans

1. To educate all stake-holders about the impending scarcity of electricity, in future and to create an attitudinal change in the minds of the people in conserving electricity.

2. Power pirates will be strictly dealt with by imposing severe punishments including long-term imprisonment. Laws should be amended to combat this menace.

3. Institutions, organisations and local bodies which exceed the permitted consumption levels will be surcharged and the institutional heads will have to bear the additional cost.

4. We may be compelled to charge at least a nominal fee from places which had so far been exempted from paying fees.

Q: Why doesn’t your ministry introduce a war-footing-like situation to conserve the country’ energy?

A: Yes, we will be reluctantly compelled to take some stringent measures unless the public adhere to our modest requests. However, I firmly believe that people will realise the imminent danger of wasting electricity and start reducing their consumption soon.

Q: Even when alternate resources such as firewood are available, people simply use electricity for their household needs. Why don’t we devise a system to exploit alternative resources, such as that in India?

A: This is why I say that there should be attitudinal change in our people. Even people from very remote areas waste electricity when they have alternative sources such as firewood.

Q: Do you still encourage private entrepreneurs to embark on mini hydro power projects?

A: Yes, we have issued a substantial number of permits to private entrepreneurs, but some of them have not lived upto our expectations while some have sold their permits to third parties. We are going to streamline a mechanism to get the desired results soon. Those who have not properly executed the projects will be punished and the projects will be taken over by the government.

Q: Ceylon Electricity Board employees conducted a major protest sometime back over various issues. Has the tension eased now or what is happening there?

A: The power and energy sector is enveloped by a ring of mafia and it is not only the duty of the minister to see to this unfortunate situation. The entire Cabinet would co-operate to wipe out this menace.

Q: As the minister in charge, your efforts in conserving electricity and guiding your workforce to follow suit can be appreciated. However some Parliamentarians are squandering electricity on various tamashas and entertainment activities, paying scant regard to your humble requests. What have you got to say about them?

A: Everybody will realise their follies one day.