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CALPENTYN WIND POWER PROJECT BACKGROUND AND UPDATES

Vinod Moonesinghe (vkm@slt.net.lk)
SARID Project Coordinator, Sri Lanka
December 2003

Background
Updates

BACKGROUND

December 2003

Calpentyn is part of the Kalpitiya Bar Reef Special Management Plan (see below).

The Coast Conservation Management Project, under the Ministry of Fisheries with support from the Asian Development Bank, has selected the area about the Kalpitiya Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary for a special conservation project. The Bar Reef is the largest reef complex in Sri Lanka and has the greatest numbers of marine animal and coral species.

The aim of this project is to combine the protection and conservation of the Bar Reef with the socio-economic development of the people who are dependent on it. It is considered essential that the fisherfolk in the area understand why there should be conservation. With this in mind, a master plan, the Kalpitiya Bar Reef Special Management Area Plan is being drawn up with the participation of NGOs and of the people's organisations in the area (Fisheries Societies), and also with participatory surveys and meetings.

Among the problems identified are a dearth of alternative employment for the populace, a lack of drinking water, lack of access to energy resources and the spread of disease due to lack of primary sanitation methods and education.

SARID Participation

SARID is very active in the planning process & has worked together with the Integrated Health and Environment Organisation (a Putlam-based NGO) and Fisher Solidarity (a federation of fisher societies) in a participatory survey on an allocated area. It recognises that the major part of its efforts would be in improving infrastructure and contributing to household economies.

The major area that it would be involved in would be supplying electricity and fresh water to households, to be followed by buildings incorporating sustainable sanitation and waste treatment solutions. Electricity is needed both for households and for small-scale industry and can be generated from wind. Fresh potable water is an essential which could be supplied by means of solar distillation equipment.

SARID is currently working intensively with the local government to install and test our pilot windpower plant.

UPDATES

Pilot Windpower Plant

SARID has obtained parts of a wind generator and is constructing other necessary parts such as the tower, brake and propeller. The tower, now completed, stands about 18 feet in height and may be dismantled partially for transport as well as lowered for maintenance. The generator should deliver 500 Watts of electricity at 24 Volts. An inverter has also been procured so that part of the electricity may be used as 230 Volt Alternating Current (A/C) for use with machinery and household equipment.

It is proposed to install this plant and to monitor power production for a period. Batteries will be charged for people to use in their houses, at a cost equivalent to that on the mainland, where at present they must go for this service. These revenues would go towards maintainance of the plant. This approach should also help popularise the plant for subsequent, perhaps larger, wind generators.

SARID awarded land for windmill

June 2004, Sri Lanka: SARID has been allocated a parcel of land by the local government on which to carry out its wind energy project.

The windtower complete!

July 2004, Sri Lanka: The locally made tower for the wind turbine has been completed. It has been constructed in many parts so as to be easily transported (by boat) and assembled on site. The brake and propeller are currently under construction.

SARID Executive Director visits project site

July 2004, Sri Lanka: SARID Executive Director, Javed Sultan, visited the new site for the Calpentyn Wind project, and spoke with local officials and NGOs.

Calpentyn Wind to music!

October 2004, Cambridge, MA, USA: Triple Helix, known for its "wildly imaginative, emotionally charged virtuoso playing," proudly presented a musical offering by John McDonald, advisor to SARID, based on the Calpentyn Wind project as part of their concert From Other Shores: Celebrating the Diversity of American Music, at Tufts University, USA, on October 16, 2004...more

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See also: Bar Reef Special Management Area Plan