Features

Making a crisis into a golden opportunity

Published

5 years ago

2021/07/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

Electricity instead of fossil fuel for transport vehicles

by Engineer Parakrama Jayasinghe

Far reaching proposals for the future of our Energy Sector has been published with the Presidential Press Release dated June 13, 2021. The direction indicated is congruent with the presidential policy declaration “Vision for Prosperity and Splendor “. With the Covid 19 crippling the economy, the country is becoming even more conscious that innovative thinking and decisive action has to be introduced to meet the challenges. The foreign reserves are falling resulting in the depreciation of the rupee and bringing with it a rising cost of living to levels endangering the social and economic stability of the country. Sri Lanka is fortunate enough to have the natural resources, human resource and the resilience to cope, but a determined yet humble approach and firm policies, accompanied with unstinted hard work and discipline is needed.

In the strategy for a workable holistic Energy policy, not limited to electricity, the transport sector will need the maximum attention. Please refer to the two links of the Island newspaper given below for detailed information, where this subject was dealt with earlier.

The Elephant in the Room – Transport Energy

Transport Policy and Vision for the Future

The state of finances in the CEB and the CPC

The finances in both these state owned enterprises are highlighted in the Press Release. It is evident that if left unchecked, it could very well lead to drag down the two state banks that over the years have bankrolled these two institutions.

There is no dispute that the CEB, is bleeding the national economy, but while the debate would continue as to how this can be corrected, the much more dangerous and tragic situation has got less attention. That is the tremendous drain on foreign exchange due to the complete dependence on imported fossil fuels for our transport. Sri Lanka spent some 7.5 Billion Dollars for the import of oil back in 2010. But although the import bill in dollar terms came down to Four Billion Dollars by 2020, the rupee equivalent remains at Rs 760 Billion, due to the continued depreciation of the rupee which appears to be inexorable. The trap mankind and Sri Lanka in particular has fallen into, remains just that, a trap, in which we wallow without making any attempt to escape.

Whereas, electricity which provides only 11% of our primary energy needs, fortunately has some contribution from our own indigenous sources of energy, down to 35% now from a high of 95% in the 1990s. However, the transport sector is 100 % dependent on imported oil. The faint silver lining if I may say so, of the Covid pandemic affecting the whole world, kept the oil prices low and gave some measure of relief to the beleaguered rupee up to now. But looks like the honeymoon is over with the oil prices on an upward trend already past $ 60. The highly volatile nature of the world market price of crude oil or any other fossil fuel over which Sri Lanka has absolute no control is shown below.

Isn’t it pure insanity to make plans and forecasts for transport, a most important national need, based on such a variable and uncontrollable input? This viewed along with the change in parity rate, which with minor fluctuations is on an inexorable upward trend, tells the story. Fortunately, we are now offered an alternative which was not available even a few years ago.

Are we ready to accept this challenge ?

I contributed an article back in March 2020, when the oil prices were quite low, down below $ 30 per barrel, suggesting not to be complacent and make plans for a paradigm shift in the Transport Policy and make use of this opportunity. It did not receive any attention from the authorities.

The whole world is moving away from the use of petrol and diesel for transport. Even General Motors which killed the first Electric Car in the early 1960s, has plans to go all electric by 2025. So have all the major automobile manufacturers and governments with firm plans to totally electrify the transport within this decade itself. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted that all vehicles manufactured will be electric by the year 2035.

Does it make sense that Sri Lanka allows to set up a factory for the manufacture of petrol driven vehicles ignoring these world trends? There are also moves to spend 2.5 Billion dollars to construct a refinery in Hambantota. Also plans are underway to double the capacity of the refinery at Sapugaskanda. These decisions would have been highly appropriate and visionary moves, if taken and implemented at the right time, which was at least a decade ago.

The world has changed drastically during this past decade, particularly in the energy sector and the transport vehicle technologies.

The over-dependence on imported sources of energy in the recent decades, would definitely lead to problems of supplies, even if we have the funds to pay for them. In the meanwhile, what is important to the Sri Lankan economy and the consumers is the price per liter in Sri Lanka Rupee terms, which will continue to go up, irrespective of the world market price in US Dollars.

The huge import bill on oil itself is largely responsible for the continuing depreciation of the rupee to a very large extent, now exceeding over 6% annually. The recent price hike of the petroleum fuels is therefore not unexpected.

Although the Yahapalana government effectively scuttled the baby steps being taken for the electrification of the light vehicle fleet, the advent of the Covid -19 pandemic has at least led to the wise decision to curtail the import of vehicles, making a virtue of necessity.

It is recommended that once the import ban is lifted only electric vehicles and perhaps for some years hybrid vehicles should be permitted to be imported with strict controls to limit the imports to the bare necessity.

However, it must also be noted that the last energy policy published by the previous government in August 2019, includes a target of reaching 25% electrification of the light vehicles by 2023. A good enough starting point.

Why Electrify Transport?

No doubt Sri Lanka has a back to the wall battle at this point of time, due to the double whammy of increased price of oil and the depleted rupee, to try and reduce the dependence on imported oil, purely on financial considerations at present. But there are very valid scientific, environmental and commercial reasons why electrification of the transport system is the wise and obvious way for the future.

As already mentioned all the major automobile manufactures have plans for total departure from the use of Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) using petrol or diesel in their future vehicles. As such before too long Sri Lanka would have to depend on the laggards who will continue with the ICE engines and face the many problems that would ensue, such as higher costs and lack of spares supply etc.

However, the ground reality of the great efficiency of converting the energy input to useful energy to drive the vehicle forward which is as high as 85% for an electric vehicle, is the most important factor that justifies the changeover. This has to be compared to the mere 15% efficiency of conversion for a petrol or diesel engine driven vehicle. The reality of gaining from this wonderful boost of efficiency was denied until now till the cost and durability of batteries and the overall cost of the electric vehicles came down to the present values. This change has been rapid and continues on the downward trend.

We in Sri Lanka have the added advantage of being able to use solar energy, which does not cost anything other than the initial installation cost, to charge the vehicles, instead of spending valuable foreign exchange to import the fossil fuels. The author has adopted this strategy and would highly recommend this option to all EV owners.

The Way Forward

The starting point of course is a firm national policy, made mandatory for compliance. Even the institutions under line Ministries often ignore such policies in their day to day programs. Therefore if at this late stage, Sri Lanka takes the following steps, it will convert a Crisis to an Opportunity.

1. Review the policy statement “4.5 Enhancing Self Reliance Section 5f” in the National Energy Policy Gazette No 2135/61 of August 9, 2019, as a national target and assign responsibilities of achieving this target to the relevant agencies. And expand same, to a time bound target of 100% electrification of transport.

2. Remove the punitive duty rates imposed on the import of Electric Vehicles which came in to force on April 1, 2019. These nearly doubled the price of the EVs coming into the country destroying the small growth seen till then. Follow the example of other countries including India, in providing subsidies for purchase of/conversion to EVs for the 2 W and 3 W segments

3. Remove the punitive duties and taxes on the import of deep cycle batteries, imposed on the erroneous notion of protecting local battery industry, which does not manufacture any deep cycle batteries, suitable for EVs and r Solar Energy storage

4. Continue the ban on import of all vehicles at least for three years more. After that allow only electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles

5. Initiate an immediate program to convert existing ICE vehicles to EVs with suitable incentives

The following chart points to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if the last recommendation is acted upon. Based on a target of converting at least the existing fleet of light vehicles by year 2030 to EVs, the potential savings by reducing the petrol imports is huge.

The June 13, 2021 Press Release from the Presidential Office makes very interesting reading. It appears that the penny has dropped at last on the sensible actions to be taken in the future. If the Government is to walk the talk, the first action to take while implementing the recommendations above is to cancel any plans to expand the capacity of the Sapugaskanda Refinery using our funds or even loans. If any foreign investors plan to put up any new refineries using their funds without any guarantees of purchase by Sri Lanka, or any other incentives, that could be considered.

The many ways that this change could benefit the Sri Lankan economy, environment and health is far too many to be included here. But even without such detailed analysis, anyone with common sense can readily understand the timeliness and the value of embarking on this change without any further delay.

I am pleased to end this revised article with a hope of a new dawn.

Eng. Parakrama Jayasinghe

Council member

Bio Energy Association of Sri Lanka

Solar Industries Association of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Forum for Sustainable Consumption and Production Forum

E Mail: parajayasinghe@gmail.com

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Features

Acid test emerges for US-EU ties

Published

1 hour ago

2026/01/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday put forward the EU’s viewpoint on current questions in international politics with a clarity, coherence and eloquence that was noteworthy. Essentially, she aimed to leave no one in doubt that a ‘new form of European independence’ had emerged and that European solidarity was at a peak.

These comments emerge against the backdrop of speculation in some international quarters that the Post-World War Two global political and economic order is unraveling. For example, if there was a general tacit presumption that US- Western European ties in particular were more or less rock-solid, that proposition apparently could no longer be taken for granted.

For instance, while US President Donald Trump is on record that he would bring Greenland under US administrative control even by using force against any opposition, if necessary, the EU Commission President was forthright that the EU stood for Greenland’s continued sovereignty and independence.

In fact at the time of writing, small military contingents from France, Germany, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands are reportedly already in Greenland’s capital of Nook for what are described as limited reconnaissance operations. Such moves acquire added importance in view of a further comment by von der Leyen to the effect that the EU would be acting ‘in full solidarity with Greenland and Denmark’; the latter being the current governing entity of Greenland.

It is also of note that the EU Commission President went on to say that the ‘EU has an unwavering commitment to UK’s independence.’ The immediate backdrop to this observation was a UK decision to hand over administrative control over the strategically important Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia to Mauritius in the face of opposition by the Trump administration. That is, European unity in the face of present controversial moves by the US with regard to Greenland and other matters of contention is an unshakable ‘given’.

It is probably the fact that some prominent EU members, who also hold membership of NATO, are firmly behind the EU in its current stand-offs with the US that is prompting the view that the Post-World War Two order is beginning to unravel. This is, however, a matter for the future. It will be in the interests of the contending quarters concerned and probably the world to ensure that the present tensions do not degenerate into an armed confrontation which would have implications for world peace.

However, it is quite some time since the Post-World War Two order began to face challenges. Observers need to take their minds back to the Balkan crisis and the subsequent US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq in the immediate Post-Cold War years, for example, to trace the basic historic contours of how the challenges emerged. In the above developments the seeds of global ‘disorder’ were sown.

Such ‘disorder’ was further aggravated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine four years ago. Now it may seem that the world is reaping the proverbial whirlwind. It is relevant to also note that the EU Commission President was on record as pledging to extend material and financial support to Ukraine in its travails.

Currently, the international law and order situation is such that sections of the world cannot be faulted for seeing the Post World War Two international order as relentlessly unraveling, as it were. It will be in the interests of all concerned for negotiated solutions to be found to these global tangles. In fact von der Leyen has committed the EU to finding diplomatic solutions to the issues at hand, including the US-inspired tariff-related squabbles.

Given the apparent helplessness of the UN system, a pre-World War Two situation seems to be unfolding, with those states wielding the most armed might trying to mould international power relations in their favour. In the lead-up to the Second World War, the Hitlerian regime in Germany invaded unopposed one Eastern European country after another as the League of Nations stood idly by. World War Two was the result of the Allied Powers finally jerking themselves out of their complacency and taking on Germany and its allies in a full-blown world war.

However, unlike in the late thirties of the last century, the seeming number one aggressor, which is the US this time around, is not going unchallenged. The EU which has within its fold the foremost of Western democracies has done well to indicate to the US that its power games in Europe are not going unmonitored and unchecked. If the US’ designs to take control of Greenland and Denmark, for instance, are not defeated the world could very well be having on its hands, sooner rather than later, a pre-World War Two type situation.

Ironically, it is the ‘World’s Mightiest Democracy’ which is today allowing itself to be seen as the prime aggressor in the present round of global tensions. In the current confrontations, democratic opinion the world over is obliged to back the EU, since it has emerged as the principal opponent of the US, which is allowing itself to be seen as a fascist power.

Hopefully sane counsel would prevail among the chief antagonists in the present standoff growing, once again, out of uncontainable territorial ambitions. The EU is obliged to lead from the front in resolving the current crisis by diplomatic means since a region-wide armed conflict, for instance, could lead to unbearable ill-consequences for the world.

It does not follow that the UN has no role to play currently. Given the existing power realities within the UN Security Council, the UN cannot be faulted for coming to be seen as helpless in the face of the present tensions. However, it will need to continue with and build on its worldwide development activities since the global South in particular needs them very badly.

The UN needs to strive in the latter directions more than ever before since multi-billionaires are now in the seats of power in the principle state of the global North, the US. As the charity Oxfam has pointed out, such financially all-powerful persons and allied institutions are multiplying virtually incalculably. It follows from these realities that the poor of the world would suffer continuous neglect. The UN would need to redouble its efforts to help these needy sections before widespread poverty leads to hemispheric discontent.

Features

Brighten up your skin …

Published

1 hour ago

2026/01/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

Hi! This week I’ve come up with tips to brighten up your skin.

* Turmeric and Yoghurt Face Pack:

You will need 01 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 02 tablespoons of fresh yoghurt.

Mix the turmeric and yoghurt into a smooth paste and apply evenly on clean skin. Leave it for 15–20 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water

Benefits:

Reduces pigmentation, brightens dull skin and fights acne-causing bacteria.

* Lemon and Honey Glow Pack:

Mix 01teaspoon lemon juice and 01 tablespoon honey and apply it gently to the face. Leave for 10–15 minutes and then wash off with cool water.

Benefits:

Lightens dark spots, improves skin tone and deeply moisturises. By the way, use only 01–02 times a week and avoid sun exposure after use.

* Aloe Vera Gel Treatment:

All you need is fresh aloe vera gel which you can extract from an aloe leaf. Apply a thin layer, before bedtime, leave it overnight, and then wash face in the morning.

Benefits:

Repairs damaged skin, lightens pigmentation and adds natural glow.

* Rice Flour and Milk Scrub:

You will need 01 tablespoon rice flour and 02 tablespoons fresh milk.

Mix the rice flour and milk into a thick paste and then massage gently in circular motions. Leave for 10 minutes and then rinse with water.

Benefits:

Removes dead skin cells, improves complexion, and smoothens skin.

* Tomato Pulp Mask:

Apply the tomato pulp directly, leave for 15 minutes, and then rinse with cool water

Benefits:

Controls excess oil, reduces tan, and brightens skin naturally.

Features

Shooting for the stars …

Published

1 hour ago

2026/01/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

That’s precisely what 25-year-old Hansana Balasuriya has in mind – shooting for the stars – when she was selected to represent Sri Lanka on the international stage at Miss Intercontinental 2025, in Sahl Hasheesh, Egypt.

The grand finale is next Thursday, 29th January, and Hansana is all geared up to make her presence felt in a big way.

Her journey is a testament to her fearless spirit and multifaceted talents … yes, her life is a whirlwind of passion, purpose, and pageantry.

Raised in a family of water babies (Director of The Deep End and Glory Swim Shop), Hansana’s love affair with swimming began in childhood and then she branched out to master the “art of 8 limbs” as a Muay Thai fighter, nailed Karate and Kickboxing (3-time black belt holder), and even threw herself into athletics (literally!), especially throwing events, and netball, as well.

A proud Bishop’s College alumna, Hansana’s leadership skills also shone bright as Senior Choir Leader.

She earned a BA (Hons) in Business Administration from Esoft Metropolitan University, and then the world became her playground.

Before long, modelling and pageantry also came into her scene.

She says she took to part-time modelling, as a hobby, and that led to pageants, grabbing 2nd Runner-up titles at Miss Nature Queen and Miss World Sri Lanka 2025.

When she’s not ruling the stage, or pool, Hansana’s belting tunes with Soul Sounds, Sri Lanka’s largest female ensemble.

What’s more, her artistry extends to drawing, and she loves hitting the open road for long drives, she says.

This water warrior is also on a mission – as Founder of Wave of Safety,

Hansana happens to be the youngest Executive Committee Member of the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) and, as founder of Wave of Safety, she’s spreading water safety awareness and saving lives.

Today is Hansana’s ninth day in Egypt and the itinerary for today, says National Director for Sri Lanka, Brian Kerkoven, is ‘Jeep Safari and Sunset at the Desert.’

And … the all-important day at Miss Intercontinental 2025 is next Thursday, 29th January.

Well, good luck to Hansana.