There is a renewed enthusiasm in the renewable energy industry in Sri Lanka and companies are satisfied as the Ceylon Electricity Board (ceb) has paid back their long-standing dues amounting to around Rs 40 billion.
In addition to clearing their long standing debt, Solar power generating companies are also paid monthly charges on time which makes it a pleasant environment to work. This was opined by Founder CEO Vidullanka PLC, Riyaz Sangani speaking to Daily News Business at the ceremony where they received the ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management. This was accredited by SGS Lanka (Pvt) Limited, and the certification was awarded for the business development, design and operations of the company’s domestic Hydro and Solar segments and is the only local entity in this segment to achieve it.
“As a pioneering renewable energy company with over 25 years of experience in the energy industry and with 21 power plants supplying a capacity of 51MW both locally and internationally, quality management is imperative to the company’s operations.”
He also said that their international expansion operations are somewhat on hold as they are awaiting approvals for the past three years.
“We have applied to invest in Bangladesh in Solar power plants and in both Malawi and Zambia and our focus is to invest in both solar and Hydro power. However, we are still awaiting the green light from authorities in these three countries for the past three to four years.” He also disclosed plans to add around 30MW of solar energy to the national grid next year. He also welcomed foreign players entering the power sector in Sri Lanka but said that when it comes to ‘payments’ there should be a level playing field for both local and foreign.
“Obtaining the ISO 9001:2015 certification for quality management is a reinforcement of our commitment to delivering excellence in our ultimate vision to sustainably energize the planet. It is an acknowledgement of Vidullanka’s commitment to implementing exceptional management standards to achieve its vision of sustainably energizing the planet. By ensuring the processes implemented in its segments are not only efficient but constantly improved upon, Vidullanka has been able to deliver satisfactory results to its clients, a testament to the company’s reach beyond the island. “We recognize the importance of implementing productive and efficient operational processes and its role in maximising our impact as a renewable energy company.”
He also said that they are actively involved in CSR and have installed solar in five schools in Matara and the first completed project would be handed over this in August.