Successful completion of Association of Provincial Biogas Programmes inaugural meeting

Janathakshan (Gte) Ltd. and People In Need, (Czech Republic) in collaboration with the Department of Local Government North Western Province successfully completed the first of the two-day meeting dedicated towards the creation of the Association of Provincial Biogas Programmes. The meeting was held under the EU SWITCH-Asia Initiative Up-scaling Biogas Technology for Sustainable Development and Mitigating Climate Change in Sri Lanka in Yapahuwa and was attended by many government officials in the North Western, Central and Eastern Provinces. 

One of the objectives of this meeting was to exchange learning from the five provinces (Southern, Central, Eastern, Western, North Western) in relation to biogas consumption and policy implementation that was initiated under the EU SWITCH-Asia initiative. However, one of the most important intentions of the meeting was to form an association of provincial biogas programs that were implemented during the course of the biogas project, which would act as a sustainable agent that would continue to conduct the work of up-scaling and promoting biogas following the end of the EU funded project.

“The world has come to a time where it is important for both developed and developing countries to both continuously speak of a start making a shift towards renewable energy sources. Hence it is important that we steer a change in perspective both among the public as well as at policy level by making an attempt to make a move towards greener, cleaner and sustainable energy sources. Hence, if we are to make this a reality, it is important for all provincial programmes to share their best practices and for us to build a model that is sure to succeed,” said Eastern Province Chief Secretary D.M.S. Abeygunawardana. 

The provincial biogas programme was formulated to upscale biogas at provincial level as well as to ensure sustainability of this upscale following the end of the project.  

Speaking on consumption patterns seen in the city, Janathakshan CEO Ranga Pallawala remarked on how fossil fuels and traditional sources of energy no longer have the capacity to regenerate to match the speed of consumption and it was the need of the hour to switch to renewable sources that can be generated from the by-product of over-consumption, waste. 

The project is focused on up scaling biogas technologies for sustainable development, responsible tourism, economic growth contributing to poverty reduction and climate change mitigation in Sri Lanka. The project targets tourism Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), households and public authorities in the country while building the technical capacity of manufacture and construction SMEs in biogas technologies. The project also supports micro-finance institutions to develop financial schemes providing loans for biogas installations to SMEs and households. The EU SWITCH-Asia initiative assists tourism SMEs and households benefit from sustainable solid waste management and cost savings through energy and resource efficiency. Participants from local governments in the Central, Western, Eastern, Southern and North Western Provinces