Delft, Analativu and Nainativu Islands to China, no change in decision - (Video)

Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila has stated that there is no change in the decision taken to hand over three northern islands belonging to Sri Lanka to three Chinese companies for a joint energy project to be implemented with China.

He was responding to a question raised by a journalist at a media briefing at the Government Information Department today. (Video of the Ministers response in English at the end of the Article)

The Cabinet had approved the allocation of Delft, Analativu and Nainativu Islands for the project on January 18.

India concerned
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s recent decision to pull out of the East Container Terminal (ECT) deal with India and Japan is not the only challenge to New Delhi’s interests emerging this year according to Indian  media reports. A week before reneging on the 2019 Colombo Port terminal agreement, Sri Lanka cleared a Chinese energy project in three islands off Jaffna peninsula that are barely 50 km from the Tamil Nadu coast.

Cabinet Approval
On January 18, the Cabinet approved a proposal to involve Sinosoar-Etechwin Joint Venture in China to install ‘hybrid renewable energy systems’ in Nainativu, Delft or Neduntheevu, and Analaitivu, located in the Palk Bay. The islands are connected to the Jaffna peninsula by a limited ferry service, managed mostly by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Delft island is one of the closest points to India from northern Sri Lanka. The three islands, where the energy systems are coming up, are home to a few thousand people. Several families residing in these islands fled the civil war, and crossed over to Tamil Nadu in boats, according to residents. 

ADB Loan
Setting up hybrid renewable energy based power systems in the small islands is a part of the loan package offered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support Sri Lanka in achieving 100% electrification and to improve electricity supply reliability.

Hybrid power plants use a combination of complementary electricity generation systems to meet a customer demand.

Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has decided to implement hybrid power plants initially in three selected islands off the Jaffna Peninsula, namely Analaitivu, Delft and Nainativu. The energy sources to be tapped for this purpose are wind and solar resources that are found in abundance in the three islands according to ADB.

The three islands are presently served by CEB-owned diesel generating plants through a distribution network that covers parts of each island. Diesel fuel is transported by boat from the mainland resulting in additional costs. Diesel generators used in the islands are small, and they have to cater to the varying and relatively small customer demand in each island.

As such, the fuel cost incurred in producing electricity and other maintenance costs and overheads exceed SLRs50 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which is about three times the national average cost of supply of electricity. Diversification of the energy supply base in these islands is expected to improve the power plant reliability and reduce the electricity production costs, owing to the high wind and solar resource potential in the islands and the declining capital expenditure on renewable energy-based power generating systems (especially of solar photovoltaic).

Background Information of the Islands

Analaitivu - is a small island located about 5 km off the mainland of the Jaffna Peninsula. The island is approximately 4 kilometer (km) long with an approximate land area of 6 square kilometres (km2). The total population in Analaitivu is 1,804 comprising of 516 families (2015). Analaitvu belongs to the Islands North (Kayts) Divisional Secretariat while there are two Grama Niladhari1 Divisions (GNDs) in the islands.

Delft  - is the second largest island in Sri Lanka, located 10 km off the mainland of the Jaffna Peninsula. The island is approximately 8 km long and 6 km wide with an approximate land area of 47 km2.

The population in Delft is 4,502 comprising 1,328 families. Tourism on the island is growing due to different attractions such as Dutch history, its temples and wild horses.

Delft Divisional Secretariat is divided into six GNDs. Delft East and Delft Central East GNDs have the highest population.

Nainativu - is one of the islands in Islands South (Velanai) Divisional Secretariat. There are three GNDs in the island with a total population of 2,861 (874 families). Nainativu is located about 2 km off the mainland (Kurikattuwan) of Jaffna Peninsula and the total land area of the island is 5.6 km2

Click here for ADB report