I must apologise for the delay in posting this entry. I have been extremely busy since my return to Sydney. Without further adieu...here are the details of what was an extremely rewarding project visit to Kirigalpotha.
Prior to setting off to Badulla, I arranged a meeting with Mr. Asoka Abeygunawardana of the Energy Forum. We met for the first time and discussed the status of the project and the state of renewable energy initiatives in Sri Lanka. Mr. Abeygunawardana is a passionate advocate for renewable energy and has even published an important book (which I received a copy of) on the unsustainable use of coal and oil for power generation in Sri Lanka.
I was introduced to Ms. Wathsala Herath, the Energy Forum's Admin Officer as well as Mr. Dassanayake and Mr. Samarakoon - two key figures in mobilizing village communities when the Energy Forum initiates projects. The process of explaining renewable energy, the style of conversation employed, gaining trust and becoming an "insider" are all crucial aspects of the mobilization process I was told. We made arrangements for the trip (two days) - 31st July - 1st August.
We set off at 7am on the 31st. We visited a few projects that the Energy Forum has been a part of. I will elaborate on these technologies in a separate post as I’m sure you are all anxious to hear about Kirigalpotha…as opposed to me rambling on about renewable tech!
We spent the night in the town of Badulla which was a hive of activity given that provincial council elections were around the bend. It’s a strange time – often the only time politicians are seen in these parts.
We set off for Kirigalpotha in the morning. Surreal would be the most appropriate word to describe how I felt upon entering the village of Kirigalpotha. I felt like I was entering a by-gone era as the Jeep turned off the last tarred road. A maze of greenery, imposing rocks and a narrow dirt track guided us through to the humble hamlets of Kirigalpotha. A small gathering welcomed us, a little boy from the village greeted me in traditional Sri Lankan style (dressed in white and the exchanged betel leaves - unfortunately he was very camera shy). I was touched by the warmth of their welcome. There was certainly an atmosphere of peace and one could feel the presence of nature all around - the sound of the river in the distance and the village was lush with greenery.
The first order of the day was for Mr. Samarakoon to guide me through the operation of the Biogas system. This is the largest plant-based biogas digester in Sri Lanka - it is also the very first to be implemented at a community level. All others are prototypes in universities/companies. Mr. Samarakoon also took the opportunity to run a demonstration for the families that were already connected to the system ( 4 households with another 5 due to be connected shortly). All installation was complete and the Biogas holder was at about 1/2 its total capacity when I visited the site. Mr. Samarakoon suggested that the whole system could operate at full capacity two weeks after (it's running at full capacity now).
The digester that was constructed with our funding is about 5-6meters in length and allows for a large quantity of plant matter (any kind...wet/dry...even manure can be put in) to be fed in through an inlet. The whole unit is water sealed in order to expedite decomposition which creates the all important Biogas. An outlet at the other end of the digester produces (almost a 1:1 conversion ratio) nitrate rich compost which can be used as a fertilizer.
Mr. Samarakoon explained the merits of the system to the community once more, particularly in terms of sustainability and the production of fertilizer. He moved on to demonstrate how the biogas passes through special tubing, into a gas holder. This is essentially a concrete structure in the ground resembling a well - filled with water and a plastic storage tank is submerged in it. This plastic storage tank is where the gas collects and moves on to the generator room once enough gas has been created.
The generator room is a small room that houses the circuitry for distribution, a gas filter and of course...the generator. The gas that comes from the digester contains trace amounts of Hydrogen Sulphide which is toxic. The gas filter ensures that the gas is purified and is thus safe for all concerned - Mr. Samarakoon explained that maintenance was simply a matter of cleaning the steel balls in the system with kerosene once in a while. Mr. Samarakoon and a member of the community then proceeded to turn the system on. One has to check if a sufficient level of gas is present (given that the very first cycle of has production takes 30 days) by lighting the end of the gas tube. A strong flame indicates that there is sufficient methane for the generator to run. After that, a little petrol and kerosene go into the generator to help start the process.
They turned the generator on, it wasn't as noisy as I expected it to be and I was told that it's a new Honda unit. While we gave the generator a few minutes to get into swing, Mr. Samarakoon explained that the circuitry ensured that voltage was regulated at 240V and that there was no excess gas going into the system. The electricity output is then carried through standard wiring into each of the households.
Ahh… then there was the moment the bulb came on. How many times have we just switched a light on without much thought? There was something so profound about this moment. I captured the moment on camera and though it took a fraction of second for the light to turn on...it felt like it was much longer. I couldn't help but reflect on the efforts of everyone at the Energy Forum, my friends and colleagues back in Sydney....all narrowing down to the pivotal flick of a switch. In case any of you are curious...that bulb is just a test-bulb, the rest are energy saving (CFL) bulbs. We’re looking at 6-8 hours of electricity a day – 2 hours in the morning and the balance after 6pm.
This symbolic moment was followed by conversation over breakfast. Mind you...we did have breakfast before coming to the village. The community was so generous that I did not have the heart to refuse :) I could barely move afterwards!
Breakfast was followed by a community gathering. I feel I must explain the setup in place here – the Energy Forum recently won an award in Japan for this system. As mentioned in previous posts, a consumer society was formed in Kirigalpotha. This is a formal, registered organisation comprising of all of the current beneficiaries (others may join in voluntarily) and is tasked with the management of the biogas generation unit. The Energy Forum has formed such consumer societies across various energy projects in Sri Lanka and now has a network of consumers which is calls “The Federation”. Representatives from each consumer society meet at least once a year – this system has allowed for standards on maintenance and managing a consumer society to be established. Thus the community in Kirigalpotha has had an established blueprint to work with.
The primary tasks involve appointing an operator to see to the running of the digester. The purchase of small amounts of kerosene and petrol for the generator. Most importantly, the consumer society collects a monthly rental fee from each household using the supply. The sum is decided by the consumer society (usually ranging between AUD $2-5) and they made decide to pay the operator as well. The beauty of this system is that it’s entirely self-managed and is fully participative in that the community decides on the specific issues e.g. monthly rental. This monthly rental is deposited into the society’s bank account and is allowed to accumulate as a maintenance fund. Families who join after the initial installation may be charged a slightly higher rate as they didn’t have to go through the hardships of installation. This system is particularly effective as continuous communal saving in this manner can allow the society to be financially sustainable and look towards funding community projects of its own. That said, as stated by Mr. Samarakoon…they believe in long-term relationships and insisted that the Energy Forum does not view its work as being complete.
The community gathering was more a less a formal mechanism to thank the Energy Forum and Empower. A government officer, who was present, told us that he was impressed by the manner in which the project was conducted. A village elder and the secretary of the consumer society expressed their gratitude for the opportunity they had been given to improve their quality of life. Mr. Dassanayake of the Energy Forum stressed on the efforts of the community itself. As to be expected, there was much skepticism about the viability of generating electricity from plants! The families that persisted with the idea and trusted the Energy Forum’s vision had to labour hard to clear the land and fill the digester – often neglecting their fields and livelihoods in the process.
I spoke to the gathering briefly (my Sinhala not being the best in the world!)…I told them that we didn’t view this project as being charity but as being an opportunity to help improve the community’s ability to improve their standard of living. I explained to them beforehand that Empower comprised of individuals from various nationalities and backgrounds – many of whom had little knowledge of Sri Lanka. I expressed that our main interest was sustainability and to see this community thrive from here on. This was followed by a few of the residents insisting that I bring my colleagues from Australia next time :)
I have said much but I didn’t want to skimp out on what was a very significant visit. I conducted a few interviews and the general sentiment I sensed was that of great optimism and gratitude. I will be editing all the clips over the next two weeks. One sensed that there was a cause for them to rally around and a framework for cooperation. There was a formal request for a simple walkway to be built across the river that divides the village. While I didn’t flat out refuse to look into it, I did suggest that we could only really help them develop their financial capacity. One has to realize that these people have long been neglected and as a consequence their perception of their own power to bring about change and development is limited. The consumer society is a invaluable first step for this village in terms of gaining independence and developing their capacity.
I left after a late lunch – another generous preparation by the community. There was unmistakable warmth and sincerity amongst all those I spoke to. I couldn’t help but wish that my team was there to witness all that we have achieved in less than 2 years.
In terms of the project overall – the Energy Forum has secured most of its funding for the 2nd digester. They aim to commence installation within the next month while evaluating the unit in the 1st hamlet. Smooth operation till 2010 ought to determine if this new biogas technology is truly viable and sustainable – there on we can look towards proliferating this model across the island and perhaps overseas.
I got in touch with Nilantha from the Rural Enterprise Network and he is keen on partnering with Empower to develop the financial capacity of the community in Kirigalpotha. Their current proposal for a fruit dehydration facility seems promising and I was able to clarify certain concerns that I had regarding their initial proposal. The next month will see us working towards finalizing an agreement in order for us to proceed with this aspect of the project. For now I have insisted that REN coordinates with Mr. Dassanayake of the Energy Forum as he has a wealth of information on the community and has earned their respect over the last year.
That’s all for now folks. This has been epic…but necessary I hope! A big thank you to everyone who has helped Empower over the last two years! Each one of you have played a crucial role and you have literally changed the lives of a community for the better. You can all take pride in that. That said, our work isn’t done….to the contrary…this is the beginning :)
Over and Out,
Shanil
