Feb 24, Colombo: The Sydney-based Australian solar panels manufacturer, Energy Puzzle Group will invest US$ 190 million to set up a state-of-the-art factory in Sri Lanka to manufacture solar panels.
Sri Lanka's investment promotion agency, the Board of Investment (BoI) said the Energy Puzzle Group will set up its plant in the BOI's new Export Processing Zone at Mirijjawela, near Hambantota in the deep south.
Chairman of Energy Puzzle, Patrick Featherston and Chairman of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka Dr. Lakshman Jayaweera signed the agreement recently in Colombo.
Energy Puzzle will be developing their operations in Sri Lanka under several phases and in the first phase, which is covered under the agreement with the BOI, the company will manufacture solar cells and panels of up to 150 MW/year.
"However the company envisages a greater production of Solar Panels and Energy Technology in the future," the BoI said.
The company will originally employ 150 staff of which there would be a mix of Sri Lankan and some Australian managers and workers.
According to the BoI, Energy Puzzle has a vast experience in solar power projects and provides consultancy services to the governments of Australia, the USA and Sri Lanka in this form of alternative energy.
Production of solar panels will be mainly exported but some of this production will also be made available to the local market. The Company could be listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange under a new scheme which is being set up by the BoI and Stock Exchange.
8 comments:
FINALLY, Solar Panel Manufacture in Sri Lanka, something I have advocated for over 15 years, is HAPPENING!
HOWEVER, EXPORTING its Solar Panel Output, while Sri Lanka IMPORTS Fossil fuels at great cost is ASININE!
INSTEAD, the GOSL should purchase its ENTIRE OUTPUT and sell at SUBDIZED PRICES to Sri Lankan homeowners and small businesses to install on their roof tops, and buy back the generated electricity at the highest avoided cost of electricity production using imported fossil fuels. Roof top deployment of solar panels ensures that the land is used for dual/multiple purposes in land-scare Sri Lanka.
Moreover, the GOSL should promote the introduction of plug-in electric vehicles, and hydrogen fueled fuel-cell hybrid electric vehicles to consumers through rebates, in addition to promoting hydrogen production by electrolysis of water and hydrogen fueling stations country wide.
In these ways, the GOSL can and should push Sri Lanka towards energy independence in residential, commercial and transportation fields by empowering its ordinary citizens to become partners of the national government.
Development of a national infrastruture for energy independence in the long term will free Sri Lanka from energy imports from unstable parts of the world in an increasingly competitive world.
Sri Lanka, located near the Equator, is blessed to be endowed with free renewable energy from the Glorious Sun at a density few other nations enjoy; let us use it for our national benefit to free ourselves from dependence on foreign sources of energy we can ill afford! INVEST in renewable energy infrastructure, not on current consumption of imported fuels!
The United States Tortures and waves cudgels at Sri Lanka while China befriends and helps Sri Lanka! What a CONTRAST!
The United States spends $25 million/year on Sri Lanka funding "democracy" and "good governance" projects to fund anti-national NGOs to buy influence and destabilize Sri Lanka, while China gives hundreds of MILLIONS of Dollars in GIFTS and BILLIONS of Dollars in development LOANS.
Clearly, the United States has NOT EARNED the right to get Sri Lanka's attention t foster US national interests.
Threatening Sri Lanka with its military might and global political influence in pursuit of US global hegemony is not going to win any friends for the US in Sri Lanka, except those of anti-national traitors and separatists. The US is LOSING the hearts and minds of the Sri Lankan people by threatening their personal and national interests.
The MONUMENTAL FOLLY of the United States in alienating a Natural Democratic Ally of the United States in Asia BOGGLES MY MIND!
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China company lands 1 bln USD highway project in Sri Lanka
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 05 (Xinhua) China is deepening involvement in Sri Lanka's massive infrastructure development with state-run China Merchant's Group earmarked to build a 1 billion U.S. dollar expressway that will kick off later this year, an official said Wednesday.
The northern expressway is considered to be the largest highway project embarked upon by the Sri Lankan government to date, aimed at linking the former war torn north through the tourist hot spot of Kandy to capital Colombo. When completed, the highway is expected to be about 300 km in length.
Construction of the first phase of about 48 km is expected to begin in August and will be done under the Build Own Transfer (BOT) system, Highways Ministry Secretary Ranjith Premasiri told Xinhua.
"The feasibility study has been completed and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the company. We are discussing details of tax holidays and land allocation presently," he added.
It was earlier reported that the construction of the first 100 km of the Northern Expressway was awarded to two China Merchant group companies, China Merchant Holdings International (CMHI) and China Merchant Huajin.
The venture was earlier reported to be funded by China Development Bank. The first phase stretch will have five interchanges, 50 overpasses and 30 underpasses.
CMHI are also in charge of a 500-million-U.S. dollar expansion of the Colombo harbor, which is also under the BOT system.
The first phase is estimated to cost 1 billion U.S. dollars and will take a minimum of 18 months to complete, he added.
On March 15, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will ceremoniously open a 30.81 km extension to the Southern expressway also funded by China EXIM Bank. The cost of the highway extension is 18.7 billion rupees (about 139 million U.S. dollars).
The third phase of the Southern expressway will be handed over to China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation ( CATIC) for construction.
China remains involved in almost all the large scale projects taking place. Some of the biggest projects include a 1.3-billion-U. S. dollar coal power plant on the north western shore as well as a host of other investments in the south of the country that are estimated to exceed 4 billion U.S. dollars, including a 1.2- billion-dollar harbor.
Railways, highways, airports and more are all part of this development push that has been actively pursued by President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government with support from China. Tourists from China are also becoming a major focus between the two countries.
Sri Lanka to build US$1.3bn monorail with Japan finance
LankaBusinessOnline.com
Feb 21, 2014 (LBO) - Sri Lanka is likely to opt for a 1.3 billion US dollar monorail mass transit system with Japanese finance to cut traffic congestion and boost mobility in the capital Colombo, an official said.
A monorail system will cost about 55 to 57 million US dollar for a kilometre to build, Rohan Seneviratne additional secretary of Sri Lanka's urban development ministry told the LBR-LBO Chief Executive Forum in Colombo.
An underground metro is likely to cost 120 million US dollars or more and a standard mass rapid transit system about 80 to 90 million US dollars he said.
Monorail systems are typically narrower and run on an elevated track through the entire length, while light rail systems have two tracks and can easily transit between elevated and street level. Larger MRT systems run underground or at street level.
Seneviratne, who is in an inter-agency committee that is looking at a traffic masterplan for the metro Colombo region said a feasibility of the first stage is being studied.
It involves a line running from Malabe, Talahena, Robert Gunawarden Mawatha, National Hospital, Union Place, World Trade Centre, Colombo Fort and Kotahena.
A link is also planned from Kollupitiya to National Hospital.
A second stage will involve a line running from Kotahena to Kelaniya.
A multimodal hub in Colombo's Pettah area is likely to cost another 175 million US dollars.
Seneviratne said a traffic masterplan done by Oriental Consultants of Japan also included linking other modes of transport to the rail system including bus-rapid-transit (BRT) and existing broad-gauge railways.
The Japan International Co-operation Agency is willing to fund the first phase, he said.
The monorail is likely to take up to eight years to build with about three years of pre-construction work including design and five years for construction, Seneviratne said.
The government (tax payers) will have to bear the capital cost capital of building the line, he said.
It was also likely that passengers may not be able to pay the full operation and maintenance cost requiring a government subsidy, based on the purchasing power of the people, Seneviratne said.
A 'government' subsidy will have to be financed through other tax sources including foods consumed by people in rural regions who do not travel on the monorail.
A mass rapid transit system provides a high quality, air-conditioned and quick service with no traffic jams and can usually draw out people who travel by private car and taxi, reducing road congestion.
A traveller in Colombo usually pays 32 to 40 rupees a kilometer to use a three-wheeler taxi and around 50 to 60 rupees a kilometre for an air-conditioned car.
While tax payer financed capital is usually used for mass transit systems, Thailand's Tanayong property group (now BTS Group Holdings Plc) built an elevated 23.5 kilometre BTS Skytrain system with private financing through its subsidiary Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited.
Though the company ran into financial difficulties during the Asian financial crisis, it is run profitably. Its income is supplemented by advertising and property.
It has since been tasked with operating and maintaining additional 12 kilometres of line built by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration as well as a BRT route.
Bangkok's underground Metro had state support for civil works but mechanical and engineering equipment was installed and is operated by a private firm.
Bangkok Metro Public Company Limited promoted by Ch Karnchang, a construction group, is still making operational losses but was cash positive by 2012.
Malaysia's high speed air-rail link KLIA Express, operated by Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd, is also private and self-financed with YTL group as the key shareholder.
New bridge over Kelani River to link Sri Lankan capital and airport expressway
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Feb 21, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has proposed to construct a new bridge over the Kelani River to ease the traffic congestion on the roads linking suburbs to the capital Colombo city.
While the volume of traffic in the city of Colombo has been steadily increasing over the past few years, the bridges over the Kelani River remain a bottleneck.
Highway authorities expect the traffic congestion at new Kelani Bridge to increase further as a result of opening of Colombo - Katunayake Expressway (CKE) and the future traffic demand to exceed the capacity of the existing bridge. To alleviate the traffic congestion, the government has proposed to build an elevated road network to divert the Colombo' traffic to the expressway network.
The planned new bridge across the Kelani River will link Colombo city and Colombo - Katunayake Expressway to mitigate and disperse the increased traffic congestion in the city areas.
A new six lane bridge will be constructed in parallel to the existing new Kelani Bridge using advanced Japanese technology.
The project has been designed by considering the estimated future traffic volume around the Kelani bridge from 2022 to 2035.
The Government of Japan has agreed to provide a loan amounting to Japanese Yen 35 billion (approximately Rs.45.5 billion) through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the construction of the second new Kelani bridge.
The proposal to construct a new bridge made by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance and planning, has received the Cabinet approval.
The newest expressway in Sri Lanka opens for public view
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 04, Colombo: The newest expressway in Sri Lanka, the phase 1 of the Outer Circular Highway (OCH) around the capital city of Colombo opened for public view today before its official opening.
Accordingly, the segment of the expressway from Kottawa to Kaduwela will be open for public view today and tomorrow.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will declare open the Kottawa-Kaduwela section of the expressway on next Saturday March 08.
Thousands of people were seen today walking and cycling on the expressway. School student bands paraded the expressway while an ancient bullock cart race was also held on the expressway.
Secretary to the Ministry of Highways Ranjith Premasiri said that with the opening of the portion of the OCH from Kottawa to Kaduwela, it will be possible to travel from Kottawa to Kaduwela within a short period as seven minutes, a journey that would normally take an hour now.
The 8.9 kilometer Kottawa-Kaduwela segment is the Phase 1 of the project. In phase 2 Kaduwela to Kadawata segment will be completed and Phase 3 will complete the 9.3 kilometer section from Kadawata to Kerawalapitiya. When completed, Colombo Outer Circular Expressway will run around 20 km away from the city center of Colombo, connecting radial routes and has a total length of 29.2 kilometers.
Sri Lanka's reconstructed Northern Railway Line opens to Pallai
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Mar 04, Kilinochchi: Sri Lanka's Transport Minister Kumara Welgama ceremonially declared open the reconstructed Northern Railway Line from Kilinochchi to Pallai today with the participation of High Commissioner of India Y.K. Sinha.
The Northern Railway Line from Vavuniya to Kankasanthurai, which was completely destroyed by the Tamil Tiger terrorists during their reign, is being reconstructed in stages with the financial and technical assistance from India.
India's state-owned IRCON International Ltd under concessional of an Indian Line of Credit is rebuilding the track from Vavuniya to Kankasanthurai and the signal system in several stages. It is expected to be extended to Jaffna before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Douglas Devananda, Development, Consul General of India in Jaffna V. Mahalingam, Governor of Northern Province G.A. Chandrasiri, Deputy Minister of Transport Rohana Kumara Dissanayake, MP Murugesu Chandrakumar, and, senior officials from the Ministry of Transport, Sri Lanka Railways and officials from IRCON International Limited participated in the ceremony.
As part of the ceremony, the dignitaries undertook a train journey from Kilinochchi to Pallai on the reconstructed track.
The 27.5 km long Kilinochchi-Pallai railway line has been reconstructed under the concessionary credit line amounting to about US$ 800 million provided by the Government of India to the Government of Sri Lanka to undertake the Northern railway reconstruction project.
Under this project, the segments already completed include the Medawchchiya-Madhu Road segment, inaugurated on May 14, 2013 and the Omanthai- Kilinochchi segment, inaugurated on September 14, 2013.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Welgama thanked the Government of India for the assistance provided towards reconstruction activities in Sri Lanka, including the rehabilitation of the Northern Railway line.
Emphasizing on the close relationship between the two countries, the Minister added that India provided concessionary credit on soft terms for this project which others had not given.
He expressed satisfaction with the work of IRCON International and said that Thalaimannar and Kankasanthurai would also be connected to the reconstructed rail network very soon. The Minister also said that, in Southern Sri Lanka, the railway network would reach Kataragama from Matara in a period of two years. He urged Government of India to consider more concessionary credit towards development of the railway network in Sri Lanka.
India's High Commissioner, Y. K. Sinha in his address termed the inauguration of the Kilinochchi-Pallai railway line as another milestone in the historic partnership between India and Sri Lanka rooted in civilizational ties of history, language, culture, religion and in trade.
He said that the reconstruction of Northern line would assist in restoration of normal life, generate and support livelihood-related activities, assist in restoring connectivity, not only within the Northern Province, but also with the rest of the country, thus promoting development, reconciliation and greater integration.
The High Commissioner commended IRCON International on timely completion of this section of the Northern Railway line and noted that the project was proceeding on schedule.
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The High Commissioner noted that an important component of the US$ 800 million Line of Credit for the reconstruction of the Northern Railway line was procurement of rolling stock by Sri Lanka Railways which will go a long way in meeting Sri Lanka's rolling stock requirements.
With the construction of the railway line up to Kataragama and resumption of ferry service between Thalaimannar and Rameshwaram, he affirmed that soon Sri Lankans would be able to travel by train from Hambantota and Matara to Bodhgaya as also to Jammu and Kashmir in North India, Gujarat in the West, Assam and the North-eastern states in the East. The Government of India would extend full assistance to Sri Lanka in this regard.
Congratulating Sri Lanka Railways in taking one more step towards full restoration of the railway network in the conflict-affected parts of Sri Lanka, which would help bring people in different parts of the island closer, the High Commissioner concluded by stressing that as Sri Lanka's closest neighbor and long-standing partner India is prepared to extend its fullest support to Sri Lanka in fulfilling its aspirations for peace, harmony, national reconciliation and development.
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