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| Sunday, 24 February 2002 |
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Power cuts out from June - Karu Jayasuriya by ANTON NONIS Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya said that power and energy was something that essentially decided the emergence of a government to power and that poor performance on this issue had been one of the major causes in the defeat of the last regime. He was speaking to the Sunday Observer. Admitting that he was not up to the mark with power cuts and power cuts being in force again, "power cuts will be eliminated from June", Jayasuriya promised. The power crisis tends to affect various sections of society. Although it was thought that industrialists suffered the most by the power cuts, according to Minister Jayasuriya it was not so, the effect on them was minimal. Inquiries have shown exports have not been affected so far by power cuts. "The non imposition of power cuts during the day has prevented losses", he said. It has been found that 20 million units were needed daily to supply power without any hindrance. This requires 1400 mega watts. The amount produced by hydro means is 1135 mw while 600 mw is produced thermally. Due to the present drought, all the hydro reservoirs have only 17 percent of water. The power cuts enable to save two million units daily. To make up for losses created by poor hydro generation, a greater effort is made to use thermal generators. Some of the measures the government plans to take in this direction enlists assistance of the private sector. As an immediate measure, 80 mw will be added to the national grid from them. An incentive of Rs. 3 is made available to private generators for every unit produced. In addition, the government plans to purchase another 100 mw from the private sector in this fashion within the next four weeks, but on a higher rate of incentive. Steps are being taken to repair a thermal generator (GT7) at the Kelanitissa power station, currently out of order. The repairs would be completed within the next three months. It will add 110mw to the national grid. Another 184 mw from Kelanitissa would be added in the second half of the year. Another 300 mw from a thermal plant at Kerawalapitiya will be added during the March-April period. As an entirely new measure in power production in the country the use of timber as an alternative is being probed. The World Bank is assisting in this project. On this score, 2,000 hectares are now being grown with the required plants at 12 different places in the country. Further to this, the European Union is probing the cultivation of timber trees in another 500,000 hectares. The Kukule ganga with an installed capacity of 70mw is due to be completed in 2003. The Japanese government has agreed to assist in the Upper Kotmale project which has an installed capacity of 150mw. The Minister said that probes on mini waterfalls too would be tried out in addition to wind power and power from sunlight to feed the national grid. |
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