The Energy Conservation Fund [ECF] says the Ceylon Electricity Board [CEB] works with the alternative power suppliers to obtain additional energy to its national grid.

ECFs Chief Executive Officer Harsha Wickramasingha said that biomass and wind power are new areas, which can generate electricity to fulfill part of  CEBs energy capacity.

However, small-scale hydropower developers always alleged the CEB authorities never support them to purchase electricity from the mini-hydro power developers.

If we inquired from the CEB to supply electricity to the national grid, the CEB says their system is full, the mini-hydropower developers said.

However, Wickramasingha clarified the present situation and said the CEB cannot purchase power from some areas. There are a number of mini-hydro power projects and the systems of the CEB in those areas are full. He said the mini-hydropower developers generate small percentage of the total electricity demand of Sri Lanka. However, the CEB has assisted to improve local mini-hydropower sector within last 10 years, he explained.

Wickramasingha said at present CEB has a larger system area in other areas except upcountry, which could purchase electricity into the national grid.

Those areas lack alternative power generations, he said. At present the CEB seeks additional power resources from North, East and the North Central province. There are no mini power developers, he said.

The Energy Conservation Fund said it has taken steps to setup biomass stations in the dry zone of Sri Lanka with the help of private companies.

In the dry zone the CEBs system has vacant areas which can absorb electricity from the developers. At present a number of investors asked to setup their biomass power generation stations. The CEB has already assisted a number of biomass power developers in the dry zone area, he said.

The wind power is another area, which can generate over 30 mega watts within next three years. However, it would cost around 3000 million rupees. The CEB also received number of applications to setup wind power stations. At present the CEB is evaluating these proposals, he said.

According to a recent  study in Sri Lanka conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of USA has indicated an on-shore based wind power potential of over 24,000 MW. With off-shore potential, this would be much larger.

Though the annual energy generation per MW of wind power potential is low, the energy generation potential through wind power is substantial in Sri Lanka, said the Bio Energy Association of Sri Lanka in their press statement.

The association said action should be initiated to increase the local value addition in the development of wind based electricity generation in Sri Lanka.

"However, since the capital costs for development of the sites which are in remote locations would be very high this option is marked as medium priority in our recommendation, said spokesman of the association Parakrama Jayasingha.

Nevertheless, to avoid the repetition of the present crisis due to lack of foresight and development of a multitude of resources, work must commence now to arrive at viable means of tapping this natural resource. In this light the maximization of indigenous inputs in design manufacture and installation of the facilities must be given high priority, he said.