Post by solar2016 on May 22, 2017 17:32:57 GMT 5.5
Sacrifice the nation to coal or move towards sustainability?
Asoka Abeygunawardhana – Chairman, Strategic Enterprise Management Agency
island.lk, 20th May 2017
New effort of the oil and coal mafia to halt the sustainability initiative and discredit the President and Prime Minister.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has created a plan to build 2700MW worth of coal power stations during the period 2018-2037 and submitted it to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) for approval. This strategy goes against the very foundation of the government’s development strategy for the country.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were introduced by the leaders of the world, back in 2015. Its seventh goal in clean energy for all and the need for this is because of the impact that dirty energy has had on the global climate causing global warming, floods, droughts, landslides, cyclones, hurricanes, loss of biodiversity, rise in ocean levels, destruction of coastal settlements, destruction of crops, destruction of forests due to fire and the geometric rise in vector borne diseases such as dengue. The world clearly recognized that the continued use of fossil fuels then, is the same as signing the death warrant for life on earth. ALL life.
The dirtiest fuel source currently in use in the world is coal and the reason is that it is the source that emits the largest amount of carbon dioxide per unit of energy into the atmosphere. The coal mafia attempted to whitewash dirty coal as "clean" in the 1990s but that lie was well and truly exposed. At the climate change summit in 2015, world leaders agreed to cease the use of this horribly destructive fuel. Accordingly, no country in the developed world will construct new coal power stations in the future. Those that are currently operational will be gradually retired. In the developing world, both China and India who had planned to construct a large number of new coal power plants have now decided that they will gradually stop those initiatives and instead place more focus on the construction of solar power plants and other renewable energy power plants.
In order to move Sri Lanka quickly towards sustainability, the government declared its intent through its "Sustainable Era" strategic plan. The decision made by our country to be in the vanguard of the global push to sustainability was both highly lauded and highly appreciated by the global community. Additionally, strategies are being formulated to obtain international assistance for these efforts. Furthermore, the policy framework required for a sustainable Sri Lanka were proposed to the people before and obtained the approval of the country. The manifesto of HE Maithripala Sirisena, "A compassionate Maithri Government - A Stable Nation" says the following:
"Special attention will be given to energy security due to escalating fuel prices and daily aggravating environmental issues. I will prepare the groundwork for the country to fulfill the basic energy requirements of the people through renewable energy sources such as Dendro (biomass) power, wind power, solar power, ocean energy etc. I will specially take action to build dendro power stations throughout the country so that electricity consumers’ money that hitherto drained to the pockets of the coal and oil mafia will flow into the rural peasantry. Thus I will make power generation a chief means of raising the living standards of the peasantry. I will gradually remove all subsidies now given for fossil fuel and hand them over to obtain renewable energy technology. In this way I will take steps to supply energy to the consumer at low cost. A rapid program will also be undertaken to obtain for our country long term concessionary loans for clean energy that are already instituted in the world". (pp:56-57).
Further, during the parliamentary elections in 2016, in the manifesto of the UNP under the Prime Minister, The "Five Point Plan" says the following:
"As forewarned by the United Nations, the impact of carbon dioxide released through the use of oil, gas and coal have already become intolerable. The per capita emission levels have already exceeded limits. Furthermore, the largest expenditure of Sri Lanka is in the import of these fuels. Therefore as a policy of the United Nations, renewable resource exploitation would be strengthened. Therefore, there will be special concessions given to the use of such renewable resources as wind, wave, biomass, natural gas and solar. We are committed to becoming a country that will be the least polluting nation in the world according to United Nations indicators".
In the "Energy Sector Development Plan 2015-2025" formulated by the Ministry of Power and Energy as part of the present President’s 100 day plan, the following is stated:
1. To make Sri Lanka an energy self-sufficient nation by 2030
2. Increase the share of electricity generation from renewable energy sources from 50% in 2014 to 60% by 2020 and finally to meet the total demand from renewable and other indigenous energy resources by 2030.
Taken as a whole, these energy policies are crystal clear. By 2030, Sri Lanka should achieve self-sufficiency in energy. Here, the natural resources that Sri Lanka has are hydro, sunlight, wind, wood, ocean waves, ocean heat etc. Additionally, there is a possibility that there is a natural gas deposit in the Mannar ocean basin. Furthermore, although natural gas is a fossil fuel, its impact on the climate is far less than oil or coal. Sri Lanka doesn’t have coal. Therefore, this environment damaging source - coal is not in any way a part of our energy sources.
Under the previous government’s strategies, a 900MW coal power plant was built in Puttalam. Although the lowest bid for the construction of this station came from India, the then government decided to obtain a loan from China and have the plant constructed by the Chinese. Therefore, as a compromise, it was decided to develop the Trincomalee coal power station with the support of the Indians. However, based on the policies of the present government, HE the President and Hon. Prime Minister managed to have an understanding with the Hon. Prime Minister of India that instead of a coal plant, the project will be converted to construct LNG power plants and solar power plants. When such plans were well underway, the attempt of the CEB to obtain Japanese assistance to establish a coal power plant in the Sampur area is highly questionable.
After a coal power plant is built, it must be operational for at least 30 years. According to the CEB proposed plan the next addition of coal power plant to the grid by the CEB is to take place in 2023. The last is to be added in 2037. Therefore, it is clear that the CEB is guilty of going against the policies of the government and the wishes of the people of Sri Lanka by continuing to build coal stations all the way to 2037.
At present, the cost of renewable energy development has dropped steeply. Accordingly, even the CEB’s engineers had to admit that wind power was cheaper than coal. The cost of solar power has dropped 80% in the last five years. Additionally, when considering the laws on coal power, changes that will occur over the next decade, the amount of foreign exchange used for the purchase of coal etc., it is very clear that we are running a grave risk in continuing with the coal mantra. When looking at the lifetime of plants, it is clear that the cost of coal power will be much higher than that of renewable energy.
Therefore, as far as wind and solar power is concerned, the only technical problem that needs to be addressed right now is that of storage. According to the CEB, the first 200MW pump storage hydropower plant could be established by 2025. By 2027 the capacity will increase to 600MW. With these, it will be possible to store more wind and solar power. On the other hand, the technology with the highest growth worldwide is battery tech. These developments were primarily for the purpose of freeing the transport sector from fossil fuels. Battery technology for the telecom industry is also rapidly developing. Therefore, the cost of these technologies is rapidly decreasing and it is forecast that by 2020, these technologies will become competitive.
It takes a long time for the construction of coal power stations and this is the reason that the next coal power station will be added only in 2023. The interim demand increase would necessitate the use of alternative sources. For this, the chief solution offered by the CEB is 588MW of diesel power plants. This is by no means either long term solution or a cost effective one since at present, that source is the most expensive at more than Rs.30-36 a unit. Therefore using petroleum sources in the short term is tantamount to the CEB committing hara-kiri. All that it will achieve is to open up a market for private oil fired power plants. Therefore, the CEB engineers’ coal power strategy is actually something that is only of use to private oil fired power plant owners. In such a scenario, whether or not coal stations are built, the engineers and the private diesel plant operators will be the only winners. The people of this country and the CEB, globally acclaimed strategy of the government and HE the President will be the loser. It is imminently clear that the internationally lauded sustainable strategy of our country is to be sacrificed to feed the requirements of the oil and coal mafia.
(Image courtesy: archives.sundayobserver.lk)
Coal, it should be stated firmly, is not a solution to the energy crisis that will take place between 2017 and 2023. The proposed oil power station strategy of the CEB is planned as a means of bankrupting the people of the country and the CEB while the oil and coal mafia and the engineers of the CEB will line their pockets by visiting that misery on the people. The instantaneous, easy, cheap and sustainable solution to the crisis is solar power and energy conservation equipment. These are factually proven to be far cheaper than oil would ever be. All that is needed is to accelerate the "battle for solar energy" program.
The investor here is neither the CEB nor the government but rather, the consumer. Services would be provided by private companies. There is no barrier at present to accelerate this program. Furthermore, all small hydro that can be tapped without compromising the environment could be done by 2020. This entire strategy has ground to a halt because of the unilateral decision of a single additional general manager of the CEB. The reason why the rest of the officials are not acting against this dictatorial official is supposed to because the attention of the oil and gas mafia has fallen on them too according to the talk going around the energy sector. Furthermore, there is absolutely no barrier to implementing biomass electric projects across the country through the "Gliricidia Initiative" of the "Toxin-Free Nation Program".
It is the responsibility of the consumer to mobilize across the country and ensure that the country does not succumb to the personal, vicious, manipulative needs of a few officials and the energy mafia and to ensure that the journey commenced by the government to achieve sustainability for our nation is not damaged, halted or destroyed by them. This is the collective movement that is required of all electricity consumers in Sri Lanka. In the future, the generation of electricity will become social enterprise. All that the CEB needs to do is connect them. Therefore it is imperative that the priorities of the CEB change and change immediately. In the construction of mega power plants, massive transmission networks are also required. However, with distributed generation, such large-scale distribution is not required. Instead, technology should be improved to store electricity and release it as and when required. The reason is that when storage technology becomes cheap, the consumer will no longer require the CEB. Therefore, if the CEB wishes the consumer to be tied into the national grid in the long run, it must act now. If it doesn’t put its hand up and step up, then its own future will become dark very soon.
Asoka Abeygunawardhana – Chairman, Strategic Enterprise Management Agency
island.lk, 20th May 2017
New effort of the oil and coal mafia to halt the sustainability initiative and discredit the President and Prime Minister.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has created a plan to build 2700MW worth of coal power stations during the period 2018-2037 and submitted it to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) for approval. This strategy goes against the very foundation of the government’s development strategy for the country.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were introduced by the leaders of the world, back in 2015. Its seventh goal in clean energy for all and the need for this is because of the impact that dirty energy has had on the global climate causing global warming, floods, droughts, landslides, cyclones, hurricanes, loss of biodiversity, rise in ocean levels, destruction of coastal settlements, destruction of crops, destruction of forests due to fire and the geometric rise in vector borne diseases such as dengue. The world clearly recognized that the continued use of fossil fuels then, is the same as signing the death warrant for life on earth. ALL life.
The dirtiest fuel source currently in use in the world is coal and the reason is that it is the source that emits the largest amount of carbon dioxide per unit of energy into the atmosphere. The coal mafia attempted to whitewash dirty coal as "clean" in the 1990s but that lie was well and truly exposed. At the climate change summit in 2015, world leaders agreed to cease the use of this horribly destructive fuel. Accordingly, no country in the developed world will construct new coal power stations in the future. Those that are currently operational will be gradually retired. In the developing world, both China and India who had planned to construct a large number of new coal power plants have now decided that they will gradually stop those initiatives and instead place more focus on the construction of solar power plants and other renewable energy power plants.
In order to move Sri Lanka quickly towards sustainability, the government declared its intent through its "Sustainable Era" strategic plan. The decision made by our country to be in the vanguard of the global push to sustainability was both highly lauded and highly appreciated by the global community. Additionally, strategies are being formulated to obtain international assistance for these efforts. Furthermore, the policy framework required for a sustainable Sri Lanka were proposed to the people before and obtained the approval of the country. The manifesto of HE Maithripala Sirisena, "A compassionate Maithri Government - A Stable Nation" says the following:
"Special attention will be given to energy security due to escalating fuel prices and daily aggravating environmental issues. I will prepare the groundwork for the country to fulfill the basic energy requirements of the people through renewable energy sources such as Dendro (biomass) power, wind power, solar power, ocean energy etc. I will specially take action to build dendro power stations throughout the country so that electricity consumers’ money that hitherto drained to the pockets of the coal and oil mafia will flow into the rural peasantry. Thus I will make power generation a chief means of raising the living standards of the peasantry. I will gradually remove all subsidies now given for fossil fuel and hand them over to obtain renewable energy technology. In this way I will take steps to supply energy to the consumer at low cost. A rapid program will also be undertaken to obtain for our country long term concessionary loans for clean energy that are already instituted in the world". (pp:56-57).
Further, during the parliamentary elections in 2016, in the manifesto of the UNP under the Prime Minister, The "Five Point Plan" says the following:
"As forewarned by the United Nations, the impact of carbon dioxide released through the use of oil, gas and coal have already become intolerable. The per capita emission levels have already exceeded limits. Furthermore, the largest expenditure of Sri Lanka is in the import of these fuels. Therefore as a policy of the United Nations, renewable resource exploitation would be strengthened. Therefore, there will be special concessions given to the use of such renewable resources as wind, wave, biomass, natural gas and solar. We are committed to becoming a country that will be the least polluting nation in the world according to United Nations indicators".
In the "Energy Sector Development Plan 2015-2025" formulated by the Ministry of Power and Energy as part of the present President’s 100 day plan, the following is stated:
1. To make Sri Lanka an energy self-sufficient nation by 2030
2. Increase the share of electricity generation from renewable energy sources from 50% in 2014 to 60% by 2020 and finally to meet the total demand from renewable and other indigenous energy resources by 2030.
Taken as a whole, these energy policies are crystal clear. By 2030, Sri Lanka should achieve self-sufficiency in energy. Here, the natural resources that Sri Lanka has are hydro, sunlight, wind, wood, ocean waves, ocean heat etc. Additionally, there is a possibility that there is a natural gas deposit in the Mannar ocean basin. Furthermore, although natural gas is a fossil fuel, its impact on the climate is far less than oil or coal. Sri Lanka doesn’t have coal. Therefore, this environment damaging source - coal is not in any way a part of our energy sources.
Under the previous government’s strategies, a 900MW coal power plant was built in Puttalam. Although the lowest bid for the construction of this station came from India, the then government decided to obtain a loan from China and have the plant constructed by the Chinese. Therefore, as a compromise, it was decided to develop the Trincomalee coal power station with the support of the Indians. However, based on the policies of the present government, HE the President and Hon. Prime Minister managed to have an understanding with the Hon. Prime Minister of India that instead of a coal plant, the project will be converted to construct LNG power plants and solar power plants. When such plans were well underway, the attempt of the CEB to obtain Japanese assistance to establish a coal power plant in the Sampur area is highly questionable.
After a coal power plant is built, it must be operational for at least 30 years. According to the CEB proposed plan the next addition of coal power plant to the grid by the CEB is to take place in 2023. The last is to be added in 2037. Therefore, it is clear that the CEB is guilty of going against the policies of the government and the wishes of the people of Sri Lanka by continuing to build coal stations all the way to 2037.
At present, the cost of renewable energy development has dropped steeply. Accordingly, even the CEB’s engineers had to admit that wind power was cheaper than coal. The cost of solar power has dropped 80% in the last five years. Additionally, when considering the laws on coal power, changes that will occur over the next decade, the amount of foreign exchange used for the purchase of coal etc., it is very clear that we are running a grave risk in continuing with the coal mantra. When looking at the lifetime of plants, it is clear that the cost of coal power will be much higher than that of renewable energy.
Therefore, as far as wind and solar power is concerned, the only technical problem that needs to be addressed right now is that of storage. According to the CEB, the first 200MW pump storage hydropower plant could be established by 2025. By 2027 the capacity will increase to 600MW. With these, it will be possible to store more wind and solar power. On the other hand, the technology with the highest growth worldwide is battery tech. These developments were primarily for the purpose of freeing the transport sector from fossil fuels. Battery technology for the telecom industry is also rapidly developing. Therefore, the cost of these technologies is rapidly decreasing and it is forecast that by 2020, these technologies will become competitive.
It takes a long time for the construction of coal power stations and this is the reason that the next coal power station will be added only in 2023. The interim demand increase would necessitate the use of alternative sources. For this, the chief solution offered by the CEB is 588MW of diesel power plants. This is by no means either long term solution or a cost effective one since at present, that source is the most expensive at more than Rs.30-36 a unit. Therefore using petroleum sources in the short term is tantamount to the CEB committing hara-kiri. All that it will achieve is to open up a market for private oil fired power plants. Therefore, the CEB engineers’ coal power strategy is actually something that is only of use to private oil fired power plant owners. In such a scenario, whether or not coal stations are built, the engineers and the private diesel plant operators will be the only winners. The people of this country and the CEB, globally acclaimed strategy of the government and HE the President will be the loser. It is imminently clear that the internationally lauded sustainable strategy of our country is to be sacrificed to feed the requirements of the oil and coal mafia.
(Image courtesy: archives.sundayobserver.lk)
Coal, it should be stated firmly, is not a solution to the energy crisis that will take place between 2017 and 2023. The proposed oil power station strategy of the CEB is planned as a means of bankrupting the people of the country and the CEB while the oil and coal mafia and the engineers of the CEB will line their pockets by visiting that misery on the people. The instantaneous, easy, cheap and sustainable solution to the crisis is solar power and energy conservation equipment. These are factually proven to be far cheaper than oil would ever be. All that is needed is to accelerate the "battle for solar energy" program.
The investor here is neither the CEB nor the government but rather, the consumer. Services would be provided by private companies. There is no barrier at present to accelerate this program. Furthermore, all small hydro that can be tapped without compromising the environment could be done by 2020. This entire strategy has ground to a halt because of the unilateral decision of a single additional general manager of the CEB. The reason why the rest of the officials are not acting against this dictatorial official is supposed to because the attention of the oil and gas mafia has fallen on them too according to the talk going around the energy sector. Furthermore, there is absolutely no barrier to implementing biomass electric projects across the country through the "Gliricidia Initiative" of the "Toxin-Free Nation Program".
It is the responsibility of the consumer to mobilize across the country and ensure that the country does not succumb to the personal, vicious, manipulative needs of a few officials and the energy mafia and to ensure that the journey commenced by the government to achieve sustainability for our nation is not damaged, halted or destroyed by them. This is the collective movement that is required of all electricity consumers in Sri Lanka. In the future, the generation of electricity will become social enterprise. All that the CEB needs to do is connect them. Therefore it is imperative that the priorities of the CEB change and change immediately. In the construction of mega power plants, massive transmission networks are also required. However, with distributed generation, such large-scale distribution is not required. Instead, technology should be improved to store electricity and release it as and when required. The reason is that when storage technology becomes cheap, the consumer will no longer require the CEB. Therefore, if the CEB wishes the consumer to be tied into the national grid in the long run, it must act now. If it doesn’t put its hand up and step up, then its own future will become dark very soon.