Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya speaks - Generation situation and economics of Sri Lankan power sector

“When we talk about power generation situation, we have to consider three issues namely; adequacy of generation, cost of generation and the generation mix” said Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya, senior energy consultant, during an interview with EnergyzEE team.

Dr. Thilak Siyambalapitiya

Dr. Siyambalapitiya graduated from University of Moratuwa, and earned his PhD from the University of Cambridge. He carries 30 years of experience in the energy sector of Sri Lanka, as well as in the region. He has worked in Ceylon Electricity Board, and in Saudi Arabia, on power sector planning and policy. He is a Chartered Engineer, and a Past President of Sri Lanka Energy Managers Association. He is currently an international energy consultant, working with countries in Asia and Africa.

This is the first phase of the discussion the EnergyzEE team had with Dr. Siyambalapitiya.

Adequacy of power generation in Sri Lanka

What do you think about the current situation in terms of generation capacity in Sri Lanka?

“Sri Lanka has adequate generation capacity as for now, and if we continue with the generation projects that are ongoing as well as being planned, and build them on time, there should be no capacity shortages”.

Then why did we have power-cuts in August, last year?

“Last year was one of the driest years for hydro. As a result, annual hydropower generation dropped to 2700 GWh from the planned generation of 4100 GWh. But, one might ask, “there is so much of rainfall data for 100 years; therefore could this not be foreseen?” Yes, it is foreseen. If you take the long term generation plan published by CEB, the criterion on which generation planning is done is that the generation system should be able to meet the demand even if the third driest year in the history occurs again. If you take the long term plan prepared 10 years ago, we were to have the entire Puttalam power plant operational by now. But we have only one generator. Other two are still under construction. So if we had those two units as well, we would have an additional 600 MW.”

“Due to delayed implementation of the plan, we did not have adequate thermal capacity to meet this eventuality. And also, there were simultaneous outages of thermal power plants in August. Therefore we had shortages for a period of about three weeks. So if the plan was implemented on time, we would not have any difficulty at all.”

You have been continuously speaking about a similar situation occurring on the proposed coal power plant in Sampur.

“Well, our next crisis will be in 2017. In fact, electricity crises are easier to predict than human actions, because at least we have some data. I said average rainfall could have given us 4100 GWh last year, but actually we got 2700 GWh. We know the limits. Basically plus or minus 30% from the average is what we get. Therefore, although rainfall is so variable, we know the boundaries, and therefore we can plan for it.”

“Most of the current oil-fired power plants are to be retired by 2015. Given how projects are being implemented, 2017 is another critical year because Trincomalee power plant is not ready yet. Its construction work is yet to be started. To have a big power plant ready by 2017, the construction work should have started now. It takes a minimum of four years to build a big power plant. But we are nowhere near starting the work. Therefore, 2017 will be critical again.”

“And of course, if the rainfall is bad in 2017, the authorities can blame the weather. But we don’t have to blame the weather because the rainfall statistics are known. The ‘real reason’ is not the bad weather, but the delay in starting the projects. That delay becomes visible and acute, when rainfall goes below the average. As I said, if the plan is implemented on time, there should be no problem persisting. Otherwise, what are planning engineers for? CEB is maintaining four full time planning engineers just to plan the generating system in the future. There should be no problem if their recommendations are implemented.”

“The problem is, now people are arguing about ‘Coal Trinco’ (Sampur) power plant without making a decision. “Do we really need it?”, “Can’t we make it a gas-fired power plant?”, “Do we have to do it with Indians?” are such arguments. Therefore, the project is getting delayed, and we will be in trouble.”

Then what would be the solution for this, under your opinion?

“As I always say, decide first for the long term, and then look for any quick solution for that window. The mistake we have been doing in the past, since about 1992, is that we don’t make decisions on the elements of the long term plan. Then, say about two years ahead of a crisis, suddenly everybody wakes up and says that we must do something for this. Then various bright ideas come in; for example, one such bright idea is “Let’s advertise saying that we need 300 MW in two years. So, let the private sector propose how they can bail out the country with 300 MW and deliver in two years.” But we know that nobody can build a decent 300MW power plant in two years. The only thing you can do is buying a readymade one. You can’t get any readymade Nuclear, Coal or Gas power plant; the only readymade power plant you can get is an oil-fired one. So we get the private sector to do what they like, what they can do. The politicians and funding organisations such as ADB, World Bank would like that very much because we are getting private sector to do power generation; so we are breaking the monopoly of the government and CEB in the business of power generation. Nobody discusses the real issue that we are getting a wrong type of power plant. And that’s why we have a legacy of 10 oil-fired power plants, all done by the private sector. So all I say is, that’s a short term unqualified solution.”


“Let’s take things as of today. It’s true that decision on Trincomalee has been delayed. We can’t keep crying about what happened in the past. So today, we should fast track it, and see how we can get it by 2017. Even if we can’t get it by 2017, we can get it by 2018. Then of course, we know that a crisis is coming up in 2016, 2017. Then we can get CEB planners to quantify the likely severity of this crisis. Then if we can get over it by having load shedding for about two months selectively, then perhaps we can tell the customer in advance about the problem and keep them well informed until we recover it with our long term solution. So the solution to the crisis is deciding first and making realistic decisions.”

“We have been discussing with India for the last six years, in terms of this particular power plant, but still there is no conclusion. I don’t think any decent government or even a private sector company would negotiate anything for six years. If it doesn’t work out, you should look for some other opportunities. In my view, we have had enough discussions with India. For whatever reason, may be economic or political or whatever, they can’t reach an agreement.”

“But there are other avenues. We can invite joint CEB – private sector partnership. We have local companies who have now experience in building private power projects. And what we basically need is USD 500 million of investment, and it’s not a huge amount for our private sector now, but the offers must be competitively selected, and as the Electric Act says, Government must be a shareholder. Negotiated agreements with the Sri Lankan private sector have been seen to be very expensive.”

“Otherwise, Japanese may still be willing to finance the Trincomalee power plant, provided that it is a ‘super critical’ power plant. Super critical power plants operate at much higher temperatures and pressures, and they are usually about 2% more efficient than the conventional technology. But, there is a catch. Super critical power plants are big. The smallest unit size is 600 MW. So, as a single generator, 600 MW is too large in our tiny power system. The issue is the risk. If the big generator trips, there will be a system blackout. So, it’s also a choice that can be made, if we want, whether to take the risk or not. We can inform the public about the risk of possible blackouts, and make a decision to build a super critical power plant. But, as demand grows, that problem too will also fade away by 2020 or so. Our peak demand will be much higher then, and a 600 MW single generator will not be an issue.”

How do you compare the power generation situation in Sri Lanka with other developing countries in the region?

“If we compare ourselves with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, our immediate neighbours in South Asia, we are the only country that provides adequate electricity throughout the year. Nepal is having 12 hour load shedding in winter. In summer, Bangladesh sheds about 30% of the demand. India sheds 12% and Pakistan sheds up to 50%. There are electricity riots in Pakistan; people are going in procession asking the government to give them electricity. So, Sri Lankan generation situation is better when comparing with those four countries in the region.”

“However, Maldives is completely different from them. Maldives is a tiny neighbour but has a lot of financial resources. They provide 24 hour electricity to all the islands using diesel generators, at a subsidized price.”

“Elsewhere in the Asian region, most of the countries meet the entire requirement; there is no long term load shedding. In terms of adequate capacity, we are comparable with them. But, in terms of reliability, countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand far ahead of us."

“Overall in comparison with developing countries in the world, we are not at the top, but somewhere in the middle.”

The discussion continued to the areas of cost of generation and generation mix in Sri Lanka. You can meet Dr. Siyambalapitiya again through EnergyzEE soon. Stay in touch with EnergyzEE.

Article By: Kalindu Sachintha Wijesundara

Interview By:
    Kalindu Sachintha Wijesundara
    Asith Kaushalya
    Dilini Hansika Dharmawardhana
    Mihirani Kethumalika
    Chathuri Harshani

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Posted in: Utility and Social

CIC Wonder Bulb

 

INTRODUCTION

The invention of electric bulb in the 18th century itself was a great revelation in human history. Since then it has been a part and parcel of every human beings’ day to day life. At present, technology has developed up to highly energy efficient LED lamps. Meanwhile, CFL has made a comeback in the most radical manner. CIC Holdings PLC, in association with Hybrid Technologies and Orel Manufacturing introduces a CFL bulb that works as an air sanitizer, air purifier and deodorizer offering a safe and clean air without using any chemicals.

TECHNOLOGY BEHIND THE WONDER BULB

It has no electronic circuit components that are different from a common CFL. The only component used for air purification is a Nano layer of TiO2 applied on the bulbs’ surface. The mechanism behind this lamp is Photo catalytic Oxidation.

Photo catalysis can be defined as a reaction which uses light to activate a substance, which modifies the rate of a chemical reaction without being involved itself. Photo catalyst is the substance, which can modify the rate of chemical reaction using light irradiation. Chlorophyll of plants is a typical natural photo catalyst. 

The difference between chlorophyll photo catalyst to man-made Nano semiconductor photo catalyst is, usually chlorophyll captures sunlight to turn water and Carbon Dioxide into Oxygen and Glucose, but on the contrary photo catalyst creates a strong oxidation agent and electronic holes to breakdown the organic matter to Carbon Dioxide and Water in the presence of photo catalyst, light and water.

What is happening in the bulb….?  

Photo catalysis is achieved when UV light rays are combined with a TiO2 coated filter. TiO2 refers to Titanium Oxide.  This reaction releases electrons, or negatively charged particles. At the same time, a positively charged hole is formed in its place. The negative electrons react with oxygen to form super oxide ions which are also known as active oxygen. Super oxide ions have powerful oxidizing & sanitizing properties. The positive protons react with moisture to form hydroxyl free radicals .Both hydroxyl radicals and super-oxide ions, have highly reactive electrons. These highly reactive electrons aggressively combine with other elements in the air, such as bacteria and Volatile Organic Compounds, , which include harmful pollutants such as formaldehyde, ammonia and many other common contaminates released by building materials and household cleaners generally found in home. Once bound together, the chemical reaction takes place between the super-charged ion and the pollutant, effectively "oxidizing" (or burning) the pollutant. This breaks the pollutant down into harmless carbon dioxide and water molecules, making the air more purified.

FEATURES

• Act as an air purifier, Air sanitizer, a healthy alternative to harmful chemical based deodorizers and prevents the spread of infectious diseases such as deadly flu viruses and bacteria.
• Energy consumed for the air purifying process is negligible.
• TiO2 layer is 100% transparent and causes no influence on the brightness.
• The nano coating further reduces the emission of UV from CFL bulb.
• Life time of lamp : 8000 hrs
• Wattages available : 9W, 15W, 20W
• Area of Air Purification Coverage : 
• 9W – 60 Sqft
• 15W- 120Sqft
• 20W- 150Sqft
• Emission of CO2 is minimal. (CO2emitted from a bulb that is lit for a year is less that the amount emitted by a vehicle within a minute). Thus all the byproducts are totally harmless.

STANDARDS AND TESTING

TESTING

To determine the effectiveness and the efficiency level of the air purification and bacteria removal features of the product, testing is carried out.

• Open plate test inside Toilets at Ice Cream facility (Airborne Bacteria Removal Efficiency is 99.76%)

STANDARDS

The CIC Wonder bulb has already applied for the star ratings given by the sustainable energy authority of Sri Lanka to certify the efficiency and the quality of the product. And the CIC claims their product to be having the same ratings as the other similar products in the market, as air purification feature consumes negligible amount of energy.
Apart from that the following ISO certifications have been acquired.

• ISO 10678:2010

Fine ceramics (advanced ceramics, advanced technical ceramics) -- Determination of photocatalytic activity of surfaces in an aqueous medium by degradation of methylene blue

• ISO 27447:2009

Fine ceramics (advanced ceramics, advanced technical ceramics) -- Test method for antibacterial activity of semiconducting photocatalytic materials

• Same Sri Lankan standards including the star rating of Orange CFL bulbs are retained.

APPLICATIONS

The CIC Wonder Bulb is also ideal for victims of allergies as it also destroys air borne allergens and irritants such as pollen, fungal spores and irritation coursing bacteria while also reducing pollution and carbon emissions to fight global warming. It also neutralizes harmful chemicals such as benzene and phthalates, which tend to be emitted from air fresheners, scented gels and aerosols, which have been linked to breathing difficulties.

The bulb is ideal for use in places with persistent odors and is a healthier alternative to harmful chemical based deodorizers. A further unique feature of the CIC Wonder bulb is that germs cannot become immune to it as its sanitizing power is much stronger than that of conventional chemical based disinfectants.

As examples it can be used in garment factories, poultry farms, hospitals and food processing places.

PIONEERS BEHIND THE WONDER BULB

The patent rights are held by Mr.Manju Gunawardana, Research Scientist and Engineer from Hybrid Technologies.

CIC Personal in charge of the Wonder Bulb

Left – Mr. Maitry Anthony
Divisional Manager
CIC Homecare

Right-Mr. Asanka Garusinghe
Coordinator
CIC Home Care






Article By:

• M.A.S.N. Madurawala
• H.P.A. Praveen Amarajeewa
• D.I. Manamperi

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Posted in: Electrical Industry

Acrobatic polymer film developed at MIT harvests energy from water vapor

Revealing the true dimensions of power generation, an MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) research successfully depicts the ability to harvest energy accumulated in water vapor by means of a polymer film. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a well-known institute of broad perspectives such as science, technology, architecture and planning, engineering, humanities, arts, and social sciences, management and so on. MIT is being performing number of high tech researches which would be supposed to yield important results regarding future direction of the world. The very research itself illustrates how much it is significant not only in energy trade but also in sustainable power generation diminishing environmental pollution as well.

Researchers headed by Mingming Ma found a material which consists of two layers of polymer material called polypyrrole and a soft gel layer called polyol-borate. The layers are thick about 20-micrometers each. Duty of the first material is to provide structural support and latter swells as it absorbs water. Actually the output form of energy is mechanical work characterized by an acrobatic movement of the combined layers of polymer. Then this acts as an artificial muscle. Scientists who conducted the research point out that, by incorporating the two different kinds of polymers, a much bigger displacement, as well as a stronger force can be generated.

The Polymer Film

The film exploits the water gradient (distribution of water level) between dry and moist environments. The film harvests energy found in the water gradient between dry and water-rich environments. If it lies on a surface with even a small amount of moisture presents, then the bottom gel layer curls away. This exposes the polymer to the air where the water evaporates from its surface. The bit of film shows an acrobatic move and the cycle starts over. This behavior produces astonishing amount of force when it folds and unfolds. As researchers boast, a film weights 25 milligram can lift 380 times its own weight which is a very significant observation. According to the researchers, that is enough force to replace electronic actuators in small robotic arms. What’s more, it can do so without influencing the environment. If water is available, the film will work. Advantage of this property is not only as a mini-motor, but as an electric power source. The film can be made up of piezoelectric materials to generate electricity. Currently, the film can produce 5.6 Nano watts, which is enough to run ultra-low power micro or nano electronic device or can be used to drive a micro-mechanical system.

This research suggests us much more than it seems. This newly invented polymer film can be used in a number of places. In small scale this kind of power source can cater wearable electronic devices. As far as we know scientists, explorers and tourists face big difficulties in their fields when they run out of battery juice. This very method should be developed further to harvest energy in large scale.

Since now the world is turning to renewable energy this research can be mentioned revolutionary. In power plants huge amount of energy wasted in the form of heat which is capable of making water vapor and would be able to be converted to electricity by means of a collection of this type of films. The total responsibility of finding endless destinations of this marvel, is upon scientists making renewable energy is sustainable.

Article By: Arjuna Weerasinghe

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Posted in: Sustainable Energy and Policy