India-based green energy firm gets green light for bamboo venture in Vavuniya
A bamboo plantation in India
Sustainable Green Energy (Pvt) Ltd, a Sri Lankan company headed by an Indian entrepreneur, has received the green-light from the government to launch its ambitious industrial venture of going green with a bamboo cultivation project in the North.The company has already started a massive bamboo cultivation and Dendro power project with an investment of US$20 million in a 2000-acre land in Nedunkulam, Vavuniya.
The project components include policy framework, bamboo tissue reproduction, setting up of plantations, plantation operation, transfer of bamboo processing technology to Sri Lanka and pelletising.
This bio mass energy plantation will supply inputs (bamboo wood chips) for a 10 MW Dendro power project in Vavuniya and the company will subsequently set up a factory to manufacture innovative products using bamboo as a new raw material, Chairman and Managing Director of the company, S. Ramasubramanian told the Business Times.The decision to set up the new Dendro Power plant was taken considering the Government’s initiative towards renewable energy and encouragement for greater private sector participation in power generation. The company will bring down the required power generator and machinery from Germany and France, he said. He said that his company Sustainable Green Energy (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of Aakash Groups, is promoting the cultivation of Beema Bamboo to be used as bio mass to generate electricity.
This eco-friendly bamboo material can help the rural poor, generate income and employment opportunities for them and provide electricity to households in Vavuniya.
The annual average of bamboo yield is as low as 1 ton per acre, while the cultivated bamboo yields between 5 – 7 tons per acre.High yielding clone of Beema Bamboo hybrid with an energy value of 4000Kcal can yield over 40 tons of biomass annually either from 3rd year to 5th year, he pointed out. The cultivation of Beema Bamboo will ensure a return of Rs. 40,000 to Rs.50,000 per acre/year, he said adding that the people in the area will be given plot of land to cultivate Beema Bamboo and sell it to the company to generate Dendro power under a buy-back agreement. Biomass Power Project of 10MW can generate electricity for several years with 2000 acres (of Beema Bamboo energy plantation in accordance with the methodology recommended by Growmore Biotech Ltd.
The Biomass 10 MW Dendro Power project will provide 1000 direct and indirect employment for the people in the area and increase the living standard of villagers with the community involvement in Beema Bambo cultivation.The company has already spent over $4 million for the clearing of 2000 acre land in Vavuniya land other preliminary work, he said.The company has a power purchase agreement with the Ceylon Electricity Board.After the implementation of this pilot project in Vavuniya, the company will be expanding this project to Kurunegala, Moneragala, Hambantota and Trincomalees.Mr. Ramasubramanian said that his company plans to enter into the manufacturing of value added products such as clothing using bamboo fiber yarn, high quality yarn and fabrics, activated carbon, bamboo extracts and use bamboo veneers to produce bamboo computer keyboards and mouse as well as, mobile phone covers.
He said that his aim is to popularise those environmental friendly degradable items making Sri Lanka as the launching pad for the benefit of present and future generations while earning carbon credits for the country.Traditional biomass currently accounts for nearly 52 per cent of the primary energy supplied in Sri Lanka while nearly 76 per cent of the country’s population still depends on fuel wood and other forms of biomass for household cooking.