By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW): India and Sri Lanka joined hands to develop jointly-identified priority areas for collaboration in the energy sector.
A high-level Indian delegation called on Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo on Sunday and briefed him on the developments in the jointly-identified priority areas for collaboration in the energy sector.
President Wickremesinghe provided his insights on the early implementation of these initiatives, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said.
The Indian High Commission said India will offer Sri Lanka 500 solar-powered indoor cooking systems.
During his recent visit to Sri Lanka, Chairman Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) Shrikant Madhav Vaidya donated 500 indoor solar cooking systems called ‘Surya Nutan’ to the Government of Sri Lanka through Lanka IOC.
One such cooking system was physically presented to and unveiled by President Ranil Wickremesinghe who was highly appreciative of the unique innovation and noble initiative.
Surya Nutan is an indigenous indoor solar cooking system designed, developed and patented by IOC’s Research &Development Centre. Surya Nutan is a stationary, rechargeable and always kitchen connected indoor cooking solution capable of catering cooking needs of households.
It has the capability to cook food through boiling, steaming, frying and baking and works on both solar and auxiliary energy sources simultaneously.
The product gets charged and discharged simultaneously while performing its function of indoor cooking. This low maintenance, easy and safe to use cooking system is said to have a long life.
These solar cooking systems shall shortly be delivered to the Government of Sri Lanka by Lanka IOC.
The occasion was marked by the presence of Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, India Pankaj Jain, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay and other dignitaries of the energy delegation from India.
The Lanka India Oil Company (LIOC), the local operator of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), said the visiting Secretary to the ministry of power and natural gas Pankaj Jain and Chairman IOC Shrikant Madhav Vaidya had earlier visited the Trincomalee eastern Sri Lanka’s IOC terminal.
Sri Lanka and India run a joint venture storing fuel in the World War II time storage tanks in Trincomalee.
Jain had inaugurated three new LIOC retail fuel sheds in their ongoing expansion whilst addressing the chamber of commerce and attended a meeting of chief executive officers of leading Indian businesses based in Sri Lanka.
Chairman IOC Vaidya said he was delighted to have met former World Cup-winning Sri Lankan cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga.
The top-level Indian delegation on the petroleum sector is expected to have extensive talks with their Lankan counterparts for further collaboration, LIOC said.
LIOC provided much assistance to Sri Lankan fuel consumers at the height of the country’s worst economic crisis.
