Electricity at low cost - Govt’s objective:

More power projects in the offing

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The Government’s main objective is to provide electricity to 4.3 million consumers at a low cost and to fulfil this assurance, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) expects to commission more power stations in the coming months, Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne said. In an interview with the Sunday Observer, Minister Seneviratne said the recently commissioned heavy fuel-operated 300 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) at Kerawalapitiya could save the country Rs. 10 billion annually and will benefit 4.3 million electricity consumers in the future.

He said the Kerawalapitiya power plant functions with heavy fuel, which is very cheap when compared to other fuel currently used to generate electricity in many other power plants in the country.

The Minister said the first and second phases of the Kerawalapitiya plant were completed last year and 300 MW are now added to the national grid.

On how the proposal for the power plant at Kerawalapitiya was first made, Minister Seneviratne said that when he assumed duties in December 2005, he made a detailed study of the generation plan of the Ceylon Electricity Board and found the CEB had planned to set up an auto-diesel operated 300 MW power plant.

Thereafter, with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers, the CEB invited Lakdanavi Limited, a subsidiary of Lanka Transformers Ltd which is also a subsidiary of CEB, to set up the proposed 300 MW CCPP.

“However, according to a proposal made by Lakdanavi, the CCPP should be operated on low cost heavy fuel instead of the planned auto diesel,” the minister said.

He said due to this new proposal, the CEB will be able to save Rs10 billion annually and the benefit will also pass on to the consumers.

The Minister said the Kerawalapitiya power plant will have the lowest energy cost per unit out of all thermal power plants in the country and this will be the first occasion in the country that heavy fuel will be used on a combined cycle power plant.

According to the CEB, all existing combined cycle power plants in the country use auto diesel, resulting in heavy costs to the CEB and also to the consumers.

On the workforce at the Kerawalapitiya power plant, Minister Seneviratne said that nearly 450 local workers including 50 engineers and mechanics are currently engaged under various capacities.

He said unlike in many other power plants, no foreign workers are involved at the Kerawalapitiya power plant. The Minister said the CEB’s next aim is to create a pollution-free environment in the Kerawalapitiya area, since Kerawalapitiya is very close to the city of Colombo.

“Accordingly, we have taken all necessary steps to keep the area clean and tidy and also to improve infrastructure facilities.

“As an initial step, we have planned to develop the road network, since many roads in the area are in a dilapidated condition and need immediate attention.

He said the Government’s green environment concept is highly accepted and steps will be taken to plant trees in suitable locations in the Kerawalapitiya area.

Protection is also given for agricultural lands and steps have been taken to clean the Hamilton Lake by removing garbage.

The Minister said the Kerawalapitiya plant was funded by the Central Bank, National Savings Bank and Employees Trust Fund.

The Minister also highlighted the frequent power cuts experienced in the country and said the CEB’s main intention is to provide a continuous power supply in future even during severe droughts.

“Although the country faces severe droughts very often, we have taken a decision to generate power from gas, steam or fuel turbines during such periods, so that sudden power cuts could be minimised to a great extent,” he said.

“We have also come to a policy decision to expedite the Upper Kotmale, Puttalam and Sampur (Trincomalee) power projects so that we can face long droughts in future and provide a better power supply without any interruptions”.

He said the CEB expects to obtain electricity to the capacity of 3050 MW from these three power plants by 2012 when the rate of an electricity unit could be reduced further. He said the construction of the Norochcholai and Puttalam coal power houses were blocked for more than a decade due to public protests.

“But, the Government took a firm decision to go ahead with the construction by making compensation to affected families,” he said.

Speaking on the protest campaigns frequently carried out by residents against the construction of powerhouses in the country, Minister Seneviratne said that Kerawalapitiya was not a residential area and no one objected to the construction of the power plant.