Uninterrupted power supply cost Govt Rs. 120 m per day

by P. Krishnaswamy

Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka said that there will be no power cuts although water levels in the reservoirs are dangerously low. The uninterrupted power supply to the nation cost the Government Rs. 120 million per day, he said.

He appealed to the public to minimize the use of power to conserve energy and not misled by politically motivated Trade Unions which are hell-bent-upon jeopardising the power sector. He proposed the installation of 'Smart Grid' which will automatically switch off power at specified hours of the day in homes, offices and at State and private sector institutions to curb the waste of power.

The failure of monsoonal rains and the changing weather patterns due to global warming have contributed largely to the current situation, he said, adding that there has been virtually no rain in the catchment areas of many reservoirs while there has been little rain, to generate power, in the catchment areas of the Castlereigh and Moussakele reservoirs.

Power demand during 1990-2010 has increased four-fold, with the demand ever increasing.

A CEB-formulated long-term plan to generate 900 MW coal power and Liquidised Natural Gas (LNG) was stalled due to political pressure, the Minister said.

The first phase of the project was scheduled to be implemented in 1990, the second phase in 2000 and the third in 2010.

The plan included the generation of 600 MW LNG from the Kerawalapitiya Plant, but, unfortunately, this was abandoned due to the same reasons, Minister Ranawaka said.

In this scenario, President Mahinda Rajapaksa allocated US $ 3.5 billion to go ahead with some of the projects, he said.

The Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project (UKHP) to be commissioned in January next year will add 150 MW to the national grid.

The CEB will also conduct feasibility studies to explore the possibility of using 'Thorium' as a fuel since this new technology will counter threats of radiation, ash pollution, accidents and damage to plants, the Minister said.

India, Norway and some other Nordic countries too have introduced this new technology, he said. Other environmentally-friendly power generation methods such as solar power, power from tidal waves and bio-mass power will also be implemented on a larger scale, he said.

Depending on the economic feasibility, the buying power from India will also be taken into consideration, he said.