Sunshine Energy (Pvt) Ltd. (SEL), a fully-owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka’s diversified conglomerate Sunshine Holdings PLC, opened its third hydropower plant Elgin recently in the Lindula Region. Sunshine Energy’s Elgin plant generates 2.4MW, contributing to the national grid. With the addition of the third plant, Sunshine Energy now contributes close to 7MW to the national grid through their mini-hydropower plants.

The Elgin plant was ceremoniously opened by Sunshine Holdings Group Managing Director Vish Govindasamy in the presence of Sunshine Energy’s senior management, employees of Sunshine Energy, government officials and other dignitaries.

Sunshine Energy’s foray into expanding on sustainable and greener energy opportunities falls in line with Sri Lanka’s national plan of developing renewable energy whereas, by 2050, Sri Lanka aspires to become a carbon-neutral country by harvesting and developing renewable energy sources such as biomass, hydropower, solar and wind.

Expressing his views after the official opening, Group Managing Director Vish Govindasamy said, “Today, Sunshine Holdings’ energy business sits squarely in the nation-building space, with the potential to contribute significantly towards the annual 6-7% increase in power demand. Sri Lanka is gifted with several types of renewable energy sources and with the national vision aligned towards becoming a carbon-neutral nation, the demand for such sources is definitely on the rise.”

“In preparation for this future, Sunshine Energy is gearing as a responsible business entity in Sri Lanka through the investments in hydropower plants. The newly-opened Elgin hydropower plant further promotes Sunshine Energy’s extensive adoption of energy efficiency platforms in the pursuit of sustainable development, economic growth, creation of local value and prosperity,” Govindasamy further commented.

The completion of the Elgin hydropower plant has also led to several initiatives where Sunshine Energy got directly involved in improving the infrastructure and the quality of life within its operating areas. These initiatives included renovating key infrastructures of the area including roads, drains, culverts, bridges and community halls, enhancing the livelihood of people by improving the electrification connectivity in the area, which included religious establishments, and providing employment opportunities for the local community.

In collaboration with Global Hydro Energy (GHE), Sunshine Energy has built a comprehensive plant monitoring system where a single window viewing screen enables the company to monitor how much power is being generated at each of their plants and monitor the working capacities of turbines and other key components.

Sunshine Energy’s quest towards green energy production gathered momentum in February 2019 when it installed its first rooftop solar PV system in Kelaniya. Currently, the company is operating with three rooftop solar projects, contributing approximately 1MW to the national grid with a combined capacity in excess of 7.5MW.

About Sunshine Holdings: Sunshine Holdings PLC is a diversified holding company contributing to ‘nation-building’ by creating value in vital sectors of the Sri Lankan economy – including healthcare, agribusiness, fast-moving consumer goods and renewable energy. The business units comprise of Sunshine Healthcare Lanka Limited, Watawala Plantations PLC, Watawala Tea Ceylon Limited and Sunshine Energy Private Limited which are leaders in their respective sectors, have secured partnerships with top global brands and have won prestigious awards at the national as well as the regional level. The leading brands of the group include Zesta, Healthguard and Watawala Tea. The Estate Management Services Limited (EMS), the agri-business arm of Sunshine Holdings PLC, manages Watawala Plantations, Sri Lanka’s largest palm oil producer.

Photo caption: (Above) Sunshine Holdings Group Managing Director Vish Govindasamy unveiling the ceremonial plaque

(From left) Vish Govindasamy and Waltrim Energy (Pvt) Ltd. Director Harin Udeshi opening the new hydropower plant; the main turbine inside the Elgin Hydropower Plant and (From left) Sunshine Energy (Pvt) Ltd. General Manager Aroshan Seresinhe; Sunshine Energy (Pvt) Ltd. Managing Director Shyam Sathasivam; Sunshine Holdings Group Managing Director Vish Govindasamy and Waltrim Energy (Pvt) Ltd. Director Harin Udeshi