Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Tissa Vitarana said that the Cabinet has approved action for implementing search for alternate sources of energy.

Oil, now selling at $74 per barrel will rise to OPEC decided levels of approximately $90 per barrel and at that level, Sri Lanka would be hard- pressed to settle rising bills, more so, would have hardly any funds left for development., he noted.

The Minister was addressing the National Seminar on Bio Fuels at the Institute of Science and Technology last Friday.

At the head-table were acting Director, National Science Foundation for Development, Rohini Wijeratne, Chairman, Inter Ministerial Working Committee on Implementation of Bio Fuel Use, Professor K. K. Y. Perera, and Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology, Beatrice Ekanayake. Minister Vitarana was the chief guest.

The Minister said priority for power needs would have to attain top billing for development. Urgency for such expansion could not be over- emphasized and given staggering expenditure on fuel bills, which, at present is about 64%, the country could ill afford to sustain payment for these bills not jeopardizing progress.

He said this need not be so because natural energy available in this country is quite nearly limitless and can be tapped. "We have expertise, and intellectual proficiency to expand available energy sources and being sensitive to these needs, the President and Cabinet of Ministers approved his proposal that this subject should be one for priority listing for expansion and growth.

However, there was a rider. Asked if the Cabinet decision for support also included adequate financial influx, the Minister was reticent making positive confirmatory ‘yes’ replies to this question.

"Fossil fuel reserves in the sea around us are yet untapped and plentiful. Reserves of this source and limits available are as yet unknown".

Solar energy was wasted largely untapped. True harnessing such sources is expensive but that too could be overcome through developed technological advances. Although theories are in place, the foreboding pall of gloom is the availability of money, he pointed out.

Vitarana said that Gliricidia plantations are also crucial for generating electricity.

Quite unfortunately, throughout the seminar there were no suggestions on fund-raising possibilities for harnessing management expertise of the private sector or for that matter such participation.

Introducing the subject, Rohini Wijeratne said developing Bio Fuels for transport would need immediate solutions. Additionally, if such progress is to be pursued environmental concerns have to be addressed and identified. It was in effect a holistic position of interlocking concerns that need urgent attention and simultaneously action, the Minister said.

Use of Bio-Fuels for transport would mean sugarcane cultivation would need greater concentration for manufacture of molasses and antecedent alcohol production for such fuels.

Professor K. K. Y. Perera said if such be the case, liquor consumption would have to come down in preference to fuel production. Questioned by the press that this would be quite unfeasible given present gross consumption of alcohol annually at approximately 100 million liters, (39 Million liters hard liquor, and some 40 million liters of Beer) prospects such as this would be quite impossible. This question was glossed over on the guise of insufficient time, but that possibility was not answered.