Solar, wind power for Northern islands

The Power and Energy Ministry has decided to construct a solar and wind power (renewable energy) network to cover four islands in the North that cannot be reached by the main transmission lines.

Accordingly, the islands of Delft, Ninathivu (Nagadeepa), Analathivu and Elivathivu will receive power supplies, benefiting 2,967 families in the islands before the end of 2013. The Korean government would provide financial and technical assistance for this project, a media communique from the Power and Energy Ministry said.

At present power is supplied to people in these four islands with diesel generators. Of the 1,331 families in the Delft island, electricity has been provided to 293 families while of the 874 families in Nagadeepa, 481 families have been provided electricity. Of the 177 families in the Elivathivu island, only 80 families have been given electricity at present while of the 585 families in the Analathivu island, 164 families have been provided diesel generated electricity.

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka toured the Delft Island last week along with the Korean Ambassador in Sri Lanka Choi Jong Moon and inspected electricity supply activities. Korean Ambassador, who inspected a garment factory operated with the help of the Sri Lanka Navy using diesel-generated electricity, said the production cost of this factory can be reduced by nearly 25 percent when renewable energy is provided to Delft island.

Minister Ranawaka and the Korean Ambassador who met the Delft island residents symbolically distributed 25 mobile solar units, the release said.

UK