Sampur: from coal to gas
By Dhaneshi Yatawara
The Government will hold discussions with India and Japan, to convert
the proposed coal-fired power plant in Sampur, from coal to Liquefied
Natural Gas (LNG), due to pressure on the Government from energy and
environment experts not to go ahead with further coal-fired power
plants, according to a top Environment Ministry source.
Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy Dr. Suren Batagoda said
the Government hopes to move towards LNG power plants and other possible
sustainable energy solutions.
Setting up coal power plants is seen as a step backward in the
Government’s pledge to keep low carbon emission, in keeping with the
globally accepted Paris Agreement under the United Nations frame-work
for climate change, which will come into effect from April 22.
The Government will sign the Agreement along with other countries on
April 22, in keeping with the pledge to maintain the global temperature
rise below 1.5 degrees Centigrade.
The Paris Agreement deals with greenhouse gas emission mitigation,
adaptation and finance, starting in 2020.
Sri Lanka still can be a low carbon emission country, even if it sets
up two more coal power plants, including the Sampur plant to be
established by an Indian company, said Dr. Batagoda.
“The Government has given clear instructions not to go beyond two
more coal power plants, despite the initial long-term plan for the
country’s energy sector up to 2030 where 11 coal power plants have been
lined up,” Dr. Batagoda said.
“The Japanese coal power plant can be converted into LNG but with the
rising world demand for LNG, there is a possibility for prices to
skyrocket, which can create another major impact on Sri Lanka’s
economy,” he said.
The best option for Sri Lanka at present is to focus on a long-term
plan for sustainable energy, he said, adding that the current long-term
plan for the energy sector will focus on making Sri Lanka’s power
generation 100 percent renewable.
CEB Chairman Anura Wijepala said nearly 50 percent of Sri Lanka’s
power generation is on renewable energy sources, such as hydro power.
“It is a great achievement considering the fact that the country is
provided with 100 percent electricity,” said Wijepala.
He said exerting pressure is useless to stop the on-going plan for
the Sampur coal power plant, which will generate 500 megawatts of power,
when Sri Lanka is surrounded by many other coal power plants in the
region where power generation is over 100,000 megawatts, particularly
those in the Indian sub continent. |
