GIZ and SLSEA ‘Energize’ SME businesses in Sri Lanka

Friday, 22 November 2013 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sixty participants representing SME in the various parts of the country participated in a two day workshop to enhance their knowledge on intelligent and affordable energy solutions for their businesses. The ‘Energize’ workshop provided opportunity to participants representing different SME businesses to gain valuable knowledge on detecting material and energy efficiency potentials in business operations. One of the main objectives of the workshop was to make use of the locally available technologies to enhance potential and strengthen competiveness of the SME businesses. Platform

Energize also provided a platform for SME businesses to exchange new business ideas and learn from business partners in the same sector. SMEs in similar sectors learned about the potential cost savings when investing in energy efficient solutions as a group. This workshop was facilitated by GIZ SME Development together with the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) and Institute for Applied Material Flow Management, Germany (IfaS). German Energy Consultant Dr. Michael Knaus sharing his international expertise stressed on the importance of a technical and financial feasibility analysis and designing the business plan as a pre-requisite for any negotiations with financial institutions. Dr. Knaus further explained on how to develop a bankable project through proper project identification and business plan design. The Director General of the SLSEA Dr. Thusitha Sugathapala elaborating on factors that will help SME to become more energy efficient said that raising awareness on energy/resource and its potential has been a key factor for SMEs to adopt renewable energy for their businesses. He also noted that absence of incentives/disincentives for energy efficiency, relatively expensive advisory services (energy auditing) and lack of financial support schemes also contributes to the cause. Appropriate research and development

Dr. Sugathapala also emphasised on the importance of appropriate research and development on the renewable energy for local exploitation in the country’s economic development. A bakery owner from Jaffna said that he was very much interested in the energy saving methods introduced at the workshop and he is keen to invest in a system that will reuse the heat generated from the oven for multiple other purposes. Owner of a food manufacturing plant in Kandy said that key aspects of energy management such as calculations of the energy requirement and evaluation of the energy sources are few areas his business will be keen to explore further. Through the Sri Lankan-German SME Development Program, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and Planning, GIZ aims to support a cohesive policy framework that enables SME to grow in an inclusive and eco-friendly manner, enhance competitiveness of SME due to technology transfer and innovation, improve access to finance for SME, and enable SME to take advantage of green technologies and maintain nature’s capital for sustainable growth.