Adani brings Green wind power to Sri Lanka

On Wednesday, Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment approved two wind power plants by India’s Adani Green Energy Ltd (ADNA.NS) with a total investment of $442 million. The plan is to construct two wind power plants of 350 MW scheduled to be commissioned in two years, and accordingly, they will be added to the national grid by 2025.

Adani Group is a diversified organization in India comprising 7 publicly traded companies. It has created a world-class transport and utility infrastructure portfolio with a pan-India presence. Adani Group is headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Mr. Gautam Adani is the Founder and Chairman of the Adani Group, which ranks among India’s top 3 industrial conglomerates.

In August 2022, the Adani Group was issued approval to start wind power projects in Pooneryn, in the country’s Northeast.

Adani Green Energy was issued provisional approval for two 286 MW wind projects in Mannar and 234 MW in Pooneryn for an investment of over USD 500 million.

Officials from Adani Group met with Sri Lankan Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara to discuss progress on the 500 MW Renewable Energy Project in Mannar and Pooneryn. Representatives from the Ministry of Power and Energy, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), and Sustainable Energy Authority also participated in the meeting.

Officials mention implementing the project will create 1500-2000 new employment opportunities.

Via the MoU, AGEL conducted its cost-detailed feasibility study on the proposed project, complying with the existing laws of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka also aims to export renewable energy from the North of the island to South India.

History of Sri Lankan Wind Power.

Sri Lanka already has wind power generated in two parts of the country. The first is the northwestern coastal region from the north of Kalpitiya Peninsula to Mannar Island and the Jaffna Peninsula. The second region is the central highlands in the country’s interior, mainly in the Central Province and parts of Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces. Other regions with notable areas of good wind resources include the exposed terrain in the southern part of the North Central Province and the coastal areas of the southeastern part of the Southern Province.

Sri Lanka’s first 100-megawatt (MW) wind park on the south coast of Mannar Island is seen as a game changer in its transition to clean energy. It is estimated to generate 345,600 megawatt-hours annually, equivalent to avoiding about 265,700 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. This project was supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB); the wind power project is helping the Ceylon Electricity Board to build its capacity to undertake large-scale wind energy operations and act as a wind park developer that can attract private investors. It is also helping the sector benchmark the cost of renewable energy for large-scale developments and the potential of integrating them into the national grid.

New technology is needed to lower costs, increase reliability and energy production, solve regional deployment issues, expand the resource area, develop infrastructure and manufacturing facilities, and mitigate known environmental impacts.

Wind turbines may be dangerous to animals that fly in similar altitudes. For example, flying into the rotors has killed many birds and bats. Experts are now researching to learn more about wind turbines’ effects on marine habitats.

The issue with the proposed areas by Adani is that both Mannar and Pooneryn areas are major pathways of annual bird migrations.

The wind farm is located on a critical bird migration path, a concern raised in the project’s environmental impact assessment study. This issue was addressed by using high-level technology to mitigate biodiversity issues. The wind farm has a radar-based bird detection system that tracks incoming birds and temporarily shuts down the system until the birds are at a safe distance.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

The main advantages include an unlimited, free, renewable resource (the wind itself), economic value, maintenance cost, and placement of wind harvesting facilities. First and foremost, the wind is an unlimited, free, renewable resource. The wind is a natural occurrence, and harvesting the wind’s kinetic energy doesn’t affect currents or wind cycles in any way. Next, harvesting wind power is a clean, non-polluting way to generate electricity. Unlike other types of power plants, it emits no air pollutants or greenhouse gases. The wind turbines harmlessly generate electricity from the wind passing by. Finally, wind energy is far more eco-friendlier than burning fossil fuels for electricity. The United States and others depend on fossil fuels imported from unstable and unreliable nations.

Indeed, wind energy is one of the frontrunners of technological breakthroughs that might lead to more efficient energy production. At a glance, the future of wind energy seems promising. This may be the case, but some disadvantages must be considered. Also, please read our article.

-With Inputs from Dinesh Balasri–