EUR 30,000 (ca. 4.7 Mio. LKR) prize and training for the best renewable energy idea in Sri Lanka

The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with The Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy of Sri Lanka, and the project implementing partner Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and supporting partners Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority and The Sri Lanka Energy Managers Association (SLEMA) launched The Green Energy Champion Sri Lanka initiative, a country-wide competition identifying and recognizing innovative ideas on improving energy efficiency and encouraging the use of renewable energy in Sri Lanka.

The launch event was graced by Hon. Ajith P. Perera, Deputy Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Sri Lanka, H.E. Dr. Jürgen Morhard, German Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The project aims to conduct a country-wide campaign in order to raise public awareness of energy conservation and to boost energy innovation in Sri Lanka. Part of the campaign is a competition which seeks to identify a blueprint “Green Energy Champion” who would become a show case for sustainable and clean energy solutions. The winning entry would be entitled to EUR 30,000 (ca. 4.7 Mio LKR) and technical expertise for the implementation of the awarded project proposal.

H.E. Ambassador Morhard said, “Transforming the way we generate and consume electricity is an essential step to mitigate or even stop climate change. Consequently, it will be a step to safeguard the natural beauty of Sri Lanka. The Green Energy Champion Sri Lanka campaign will raise the awareness of energy conservation and it will hopefully trigger people to come up with innovative renewable energy ideas for their communities.”

The briefing also saw the launch of www.greenenergychampion.lk, a web site dedicated to the campaign, and a medium for the public to gain access to the application form, tips how to save energy at home and other valuable information on the subject of renewable energy.

Sri Lanka has excellent conditions for using solar energy, biomass and wind energy. It has almost fully exploited its hydropower capacities, so the government is exploring other electricity generation options. Expanding the supply of energy for the growing demand of Sri Lanka’s economy is expensive and time-consuming. In contrast, improving energy efficiency puts downward pressure on energy prices while reducing the country’s reliance on energy imports and emissions of carbon dioxide, a harmful greenhouse gas.

Germany, the world’s fourth largest economy, is currently pioneering an epochal transformation it calls the energiewende – an energy transition which will substantially change the energy portfolio in the European country. Nuclear power, coal, gas and all other fossil fuels shall finally be replaced by renewable energy sources. Succeeding in this approach will lead to ambitious emission cuts Germany has promised: By 2020, a 40 percent cut from 1990 levels, and by 2050, at least 80 percent.