Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)

Lotus takes over mini hydro power company Zyrex

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Lotus Renewables, a subsidiary of the Singapore- based G& G g roup of companies, has announced its planned acquisitio­n of Zyrex, a mini hydro power generating company, close on the heels of the purchase of Browns Hydro Power last year.

Focusing on alternativ­e green power sources, Lotus Renewables aims to diversify the energy supply in Sri Lanka and enable the shift away from fossil fuels. This goal is in tandem with the country's power generation policy, with Sri Lanka generating 5 per cent of power needs through renewables in 2013, a share that is set to increase to 20 per cent of power needs, by 2030. Lotus Renewables plans on a Rs. 20 billion investment to meet its objective, the company said in a media release.

“We are thrilled about this acquisitio­n of Zyrex Power Co ( Pvt) Ltd., as it takes us and our country close to the goal of clean energy which is imperative when fossil fuel energy is increasing­ly a thing of the past in most of the developed world,” said Lotus Renewables Director Menaka Athukorala in the statement.

Lotus has also taken over 80 per cent ownership of Hi Tech Power Systems ( Pvt) Ltd, another hydro power generating company based in Sri Lanka.

The company looks at hydro power as the lynchpin of renewable energy, and the acquisitio­n of these two companies signals more hydro power company acquisitio­ns in the future, as Lotus Renewables consolidat­es its renewables portfolio, according to Gowri Shankar, Director, Lotus Renewables.

Mr. Gary Seaton, Chairman, Lotus Renewables, said he envisaged this incrementa­l capture of the Sri Lankan power generation market as aiding the company in its goal of preserving the environmen­t and decreasing dependency on high cost fuels, thereby making Sri Lanka a sustainabl­e environmen­t for future generation­s to live in as well.

He added that hydro power feasibilit­y is made manageable due to small power plants which contribute to the national grid, without burdening the state which would be hamstrung looking for the resources to maintain such plants.

Lotus also specialise­s in the provision of solar power as an alternativ­e energy source. A pioneer in renewables, Lotus has global expertise and in-depth experience in running any power plant efficientl­y by reengineer­ing and optimising the operationa­l efficienci­es of the plant. Its presence and operations in countries such as Singapore and other South Asian countries in deploying renewable energy technologi­es has enabled it to gain the trust of mini hydro power generating companies in Sri Lanka.

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