Courtesy Adaderana

• Solar Universe in Vavunathivu adds 10MW; Hiruras Power in Mannar 15MW
• 3Q Group consolidated revenue LKR 3.6 Bn; bottom line increase of 4% YoY
• Hydro power revenue up by 25%; solar has growth of 22%

WindForce PLC, the largest renewable energy developer in Sri Lanka which released its 3Q results for 9 months ending 31^st December 2021, reinforced its commitment for greener energy choices by also unveiling plans for commissioning of a 10MW solar power plant in Vavunathivu in May, and 15MW Hiruras Wind Power Plant in Mannar by the end of the year.

In the 3^rd Quarter 2021/22 financial results, the Group recorded a consolidated revenue of LKR 3.6 Bn, with Profit After Tax posting an increase of 4% to LKR 2.05 Bn from LKR 1.97 Bn YoY. WindForce, which debuted on the Colombo Stock Exchange in April 2021, has since declared an unprecedented dividend pay-out of LKR 1.76 Bn.

WindForce, one of the first companies in Sri Lanka to enter solar power generation saw its foresight reap astute results when the solar sector posted a significant growth of 22% in the comparable nine months.  This was due to notable contributions by the newly commissioned Tororo Solar Plant in Uganda in August 2020 and the newly acquired rooftop solar plant, Sky Solar (Pvt) Limited in September 2021.

The hydropower sector saw an impressive volume increase of 28% in hydropower generation which is reflected in the YoY revenue growth of 25%.  The consistently high rainfall experienced in catchment areas augmented a commendable performance by the Terraqua International, Energy Reclamation, HPD Power and Peak Power Delta plants which all benefited from the favourable weather conditions.

The wind sector recorded a higher output generation compared to last year but with both Daily Life and PowerGen entering its second tier in operation and seeing a drop in tariff rate, a 10% revenue decline YoY in the nine month period is observed.

WindForce, named the Fastest Growing Renewable Energy Company in Sri Lanka 2021 by GBO is adding a pioneering initiative into its newly acquired Solar Universe which is a triparty deal with Vidullanka PLC and HiEnergy Services (Pvt) Limited.  In its bid to introduce global best practices in sustainable energy to Sri Lanka, WindForce is initiating a pilot Agrivoltaic Plant infusing Agrovioltaic technology which has the potential to add significant benefits for farmers, especially in mitigating climate risk and global warming impacts.  Agrivoltaic systems place solar panels above agricultural crops, and provides a good ratio between the use of arable land and production of solar power.

WindForce has also launched the initial stages of construction of the 15MW Hiruras Wind Power Plant in Mannar.  The plant, billed for completion by end 2022, will use state-of-the-art gearless technology, which allows a greater efficiency and is in line with global standards on Wind production.

With this additional capacity, WindForce will add a total output capacity of 25 MW to the national grid this year, resulting in a saving of over 10 million litres of fuel annually and in tandem, the saving of valuable foreign exchange, while furthering energy security in the country.