President’s renewable targets possible, says top electrical engineer

By Ifham Nizam

Eighty per cent renewable energy by 2030 is possible if the government is ready to go all out to achieve that target, a senior independent electrical engineer says.

Energy Consultant, former Additional General Manager (COMMERCIAL) Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Kanaga Gnana told The Island that battery storage and pumped storage needed to be planned to be implemented as soon as possible.

The government must abolish the import duty and taxes on battery storage both behind the meter and grid storage to make the process economical, he said.

“CEB engineers must strive to achieve the set target instead of repeating that the President’s plan is not viable. It is unfortunate that the planning engineers appeared only to follow wrong advice given by some so-called local experts who wanted them to promote the costly coal power generation. We must keep an open mind and learn from latest developments as regards cost reduction. The CEB should call for quotations for large wind and solar projects of size 100 MW immediately together with storage two to four hours.

Kanagagnan said he believed that the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority should identify the suitable sites and expeditiously arrange to obtain necessary clearances in an orderly manner so quotations for the projects could be undertaken early.

“Present staff strength at SLSEA needs to be increased and it is vital to set up a Renewable Energy Authority with well-motivated staff. Most of these requirements are only being talked about.”

He also said that steps should be taken to send the CEBEU top members on a training programme so that they would see how transition to renewables was being done in other countries and get first hand training using latest model analysis.

CEBEU President Saumya Kumarawadu said that at present Sri Lanka was at a top level in Asia as well as in the world. According to the long-term generation expansion plan (LTGEP) prepared for the period 2022-2041, by 2030, another 2674 MW of solar and 1113 MW of wind would be added to the system.

“Such a variable renewable energy (VRE) target requires large investments, which were a major challenge for a country like Sri Lanka, given the size of its economy,” he said.

He said for a small electrical grid like Sri Lanka’s without interconnections with other countries, for the generation of VRE through solar available only during day time and through wind of variable nature, the government would have to invest billions of USD upfront to upgrade existing electricity network, to add large battery storage of 1000-1500MW and pumped storage hydro and to develop Smart Grid technologies.

“We should try to achieve a target like this in a very planned and steady manner. We definitely need some low cost firm energy power stations to keep the system stable, to provide electricity at night, and to provide electricity at lower prices,” he stressed.

At the same time the loss due to the increased consumption of diesel in the generation of electricity at present, had risen to around Rs. 200 billion in five years. All of this was due to the reckless decision of the former President Sirisena during his 2015-2020 term, he said.