Sri Lanka - High wind energy potential

Sri Lanka has the potential to generate 24,000 MW electricity from wind which is about ten times more than the present installed capacity, according to a US bound expert. Director of the Energy and Environmental Security Initiative and Nicholas Doman Professor of International Law of the University of Colorado Lakshman Guruswamy delivering a lecture at the Sri Lanka Institute of International Relations on Friday on "The End of Oil" said that a National Renewable Energy Lab and US Aid study has assessed the quantity and extent of wind resources in Sri Lanka. He was urging Sri Lankan authorities to think of developing alternative energy sources without delay since the world oil reserves are depleting and developing countries' economies will be squeezed after oil production declines in 2037. The world oil demand growth is currently surging at a relatively high rate and the present oil prices are likely to remain above US $ 50.
However, the present wind power generation in Sri Lanka is about 3 MW at present. The CEB is planning to set up a 30MW wind power plant in Puttalam with the financial assistance of Germany. The present installed capacity of Sri Lanka is 2400 MW. "Sri Lanka is in a smouldering volcano. Sri Lankan experts need to find out alternative energy sources without waiting till 2037", Guruswamy noted. Giving reasons for high oil prices he said that consumption of oil by some countries has increased and it will continue to increase many fold in the coming years but new deposits have not been discovered. Therefore, oil production will reach it climax in 2037 and start declining thereafter. Prof. Guruswamy noted that studies have shown that nearly 5000 square KM of windy areas are available for potential wind power generation in Sri Lanka. The windy land represents about six percent of the total land area of Sri Lanka. He also proposed another alternative "Dendro power generation" for the future energy security in Sri Lanka.