The mini-hydropower sector is near saturation and hydropower energy generation is itself susceptible to the erratic patterns of floods and droughts we experience continually, so investing in solar and wind power, for instance, could be the way forward to meet the country’s energy needs, a top industry official said.

“Pollution in Sri Lanka is not at significantly high levels when compared with several other countries in the region, but we are still very vulnerable to local and regional weather conditions in terms of our geography, location and rainfall patterns brought on by climate change. Therefore, it is imperative that we pursue more options in renewal energy that take advantage of our tropical climatic conditions,” Vallibel Power Chairman Dhammika Perera told shareholders in the annual report 2019/20.

“The mini-hydropower sector is near saturation and hydropower energy generation is itself susceptible to the erratic patterns of floods and droughts we experience continually, so investing in solar and wind power, for instance, could be the way forward to meet the country’s energy needs. All these facts confirm the importance of expanding green energy initiative,” he added.

The drought that prevailed during the first seven months of 2019 caused a decline in the generation of both large hydropower as well as mini-hydropower plants, but generation picked up somewhat during the latter part of the year as rainfall in the catchment areas improved.

However, this reduction in the generated power of mini-hydropower plants resulted in a corresponding lowering of the contribution of NCREs to the country’s energy mix.

“Although coal looks the more profitable option to both producers and consumers in Sri Lanka due to the purported low cost of fossil-fuel based power plants, its potential environmental impact too must be considered in the long term," Perera said and added; "the environment costs of carbon, soil degradation and air-quality and other related issues could be substantial."

The full statement conveyed by the chairman is given below: