No more power cuts...

Three hundred MW added to national grid

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

President Mahinda Rajapaksa commissioning the project. (Insert) Power generators showing 300 megawatts

The President being taken to the venue by Minister of Power and Engergy, Champika Ranawaka and Minister of Aviation Priyankara Jayaratne

Local politicians were well-known for laying foundation stones for various development projects with pomp and pageantry and then forgetting the project while the foundation stones gather dust. Then there were also mammoth development projects that were only confined to drawing boards.

These projects were not given the green light by these politicians since they felt that they were controversial and implementing them would damage their voter base. Some of the projects of this nature included the Upper Kotmale Hydro project, Norochcholai and the Southern highway.

However, the present UPFA government which had a resounding majority began to implement these projects knowing the multiple benefits it would bring to the country.

Of course the government being a people friendly stake, educated the public on the benefits of the projects and did some changes which would bring more benefit to public.

Meanwhile, initial plans to convert the Weerawila airstrip to an international airport was abandoned mainly because it was pointed out that too many families had to be relocated. In addition, many paddy fields too had to be abandoned had the project got of the ground.

Being a responsible government the venue was shifted from Weerawila to Mattala where relocation of families was zero and environmental constraints were not evident.

The Norochcholai power project which was planned 20 years ago too was marred with controversy and it never saw the light of the day until recently.

The Minister of Power, Champika Ranawaka said that the Ceylon Electricity Board made two major blunders in the recent past. One was to entirely bank on hydro power and if there was a major drought, the country will be plunged into darkness due to lack of power for several hours a day.

Due to this problem the decision makers decided to go in for a stand by second power source. Unfortunately this was thermal energy as it can be found in quickly as only generators had to be imported and installed.

When the thermal power plant was in place as these were installed by the private sector, fuel prices rose to a record high and thermal power turned out to be very expensive.

The CEB bought a unit for around Rs. 23 and sold it to the consumer for less than Rs. 13 incurring huge losses to the CEB these losses haunted the CEB far many years until the last three months.

Today the foundation stone that was laid for the Norochcholai power project, (Lakvijaya) became a reality and the plant was opened last Tuesday by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Making it the first coal fired power plant to be constructed in the country thus adding 300 megawatts to the national grid.

Norochcholai project after completion

The power plant was jointly invested by Sri Lanka and China. Minister Ranawaka said that with the inauguration of the power plant a unit of electricity could be sold at a nominal price of Rs. 9.00.

The 80 families who lost their land due to the construction have been provided furnished houses with all facilities on an area of 20 perches each and a further two acre land has been handed over for cultivation.

The project was funded by the Chinese Government and construction was carried out by a Chinese company.

The Sri Lankan Government also invested Rs. 5,300 million for the first stage and Rs. 11,000 million for the second stage of construction.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the gathering after opening the Lak Vijaya plant said that electricity will never be an election slogan in the future because within the next two years, Sri Lanka will be self-sufficient in electricity.

The Norochcholai site before construction of the power project

At the beginning of construction...

He urged all Sri Lankans to shed their differences and throw their weight behind the ongoing development drive in the post-conflict era. Development would hinge on the ability of all sectors to work in harmony, he said.

The President added that 87 percent of all households in the country are supplied with electricity and it would be increased to 100 percent within two years.

The President said that Sri Lanka is one of the few countries in the region where electricity is provided for domestic and industrial purposes round the clock and that the Government has focused on alternative power sources such as wind power.

The President noted that those who stood in the Government’s path to liberate the country from the clutches of terrorism have raised their ugly heads again to deter the country’s development march.

President Rajapaksa added that they have launched protests demanding the ban of GSP+ facility on Sri Lanka and said these elements want to prevent the country from being developed. He said the entire country has now been brought under a massive development drive.

The President said that new ports, highways and new power stations are being constructed in the country.

He said that all developed countries in the world laid more focus on the development of the power and energy sector.

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekera, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister John Seneviratne were also present.

With the opening of the Norochcholai power plant, Sri Lanka is now assured of providing uninterrupted power to the country. Most importantly there would be no sudden surges or power fluctuations making Sri Lanka one of the few countries in Asia which can boast of such a stake and would take the country even closer to be made the Wonder of Asia.