Biofuels Researched in Sri Lanka

The biofuel research project conducted by the Universities of Peradeniya and Ruhuna and backed by the Practical Action organisation is to produce biodiesel to run small tractors, water pumps and to generate electricity in the villages.

Rohitha Ananda, renewable energy project manager at Practical Action told Lanka Business Online that the research is soon to become a community project.

"Most of the people in the bio-fuel field have lots of big hopes but I think we have to test it before we say anything because the reality is not that," Ananda told LBO.

The government must channel more funds in to research and development initiatives to promote investments and experimentation in the bio fuel sector, says C S Kalpage, senior lecturer, department of chemical and process engineering from the Peradeniya University in the central hills.

In the 2008 budget, the government allocated only 0.13 percent (5.2 billion rupees) from a total of 898 billion rupees for research and development compared to 0.14 percent (4.6 billion) in 2007.

However Kalpage told LBO that not enough is being spent on research and he called on the authorities to spend more to switch from fossil fuels to biofuels.

"Bio diesel will have good financial benefits. At the moment it costs quite a lot compared to crude oil but we have crude oil only for another 40 or 50 years. Before we go to that stage we should start and look at other possible sources," he said.

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