Sampur shelved

Coal plant off the table

By Rukshana Rizwie

A delegation of the Ministry of Power and Energy will meet their Indian counterparts on Friday, May 20 to discuss the possibility of shelving the proposed 500 megawatt coal powered plant in Sampur, the Sunday Observer reliably learns.

An official at the Ministry of Power and Energy said that decisions were reached by the the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CEM) to conduct feasibility studies to set up of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants in Sampur instead of coal powered plants.

“The CEM has arrived at several decisions which include negotiating the need for a coal power plant and replacing it with a cleaner model like LNG,” he said. “They have also decided to suspend all activities including tenders that have already been called.”

He added that the CEM also discussed enabling the Kerawalapitiya power plant to operate on dual fuel basis with the facility to convert to LNG when needed.

A spokesperson for the Ceylon Electricity Board, Sulakshana Jayawardena told the Sunday Observer that the crucial talks on May 20 would decide the way forward.

“Due to stiff opposition to the Sampur Power plant on social and environmental grounds, we are thinking of setting up LNG plants, but it has not been finalised as yet,” he said.

The Sunday Observer also spoke to officials at the Trincomalee Power Company Limited (TPCL) who said that work on the proposed coal power plant was going on unperturbed. “We called for tenders and will open them for bidding.”

Meanwhile the source at the Ministry told the Sunday Observer that there has been no timeline or plan as to how the country would pursue LNG plants. “Sri Lanka’s long term generation plan is not convincing. Recently the government decided to analyse demand side management but they realised that it was almost negligible.”

He also referred to a feasibility project by the Japanese who cited that it was not practical for Sri Lanka to develop LNG plants since there were no pragmatic means to transport, unload or handle LNG.

“Sri Lanka’s power and energy demand, supply and generation plans should be considered without any political or business interest,” he added.