Power to the people
Ananda Kannangara
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa unveils the plaque for the
Norochcholai coal power plant. |
The Government under the able leadership of
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has taken every possible step to provide
electricity at a very cheap rate as soon as possible and also to provide
electricity to nearly 80 per cent non- electricity users in the remote
areas within the next two years, says Power and Energy Minister W D J
Seneviratne.
Commenting on the imminent energy crisis in 2012, Minister
Seneviratne said the development of energy is the main targeted national
programme of the Government and it has been fully endorsed by the
Mahinda Chintana.
“My Ministry has been entrusted with the responsibility of providing
the guidance and leadership to meet the country’s electricity
requirements of the people,” he said.
Minister Seneviratne said his Ministry has already launched well-
planned programs towards energy development with the sole objective of
overcoming the national energy crisis.
“Energy development is vital to launch large, small and medium scale
industrial projects that help to create a sound economy in the country,”
he said.
The Minister also highlighted that the capacity of hydropower in the
country is limited to 35 per cent of the total electricity demand and
the balance 65 percent is met with fossil fuel consumption on which the
country spends a colossal sum.
He said although a unit of electricity is generated at a cost of Rs.
14.00 at present, a unit is sold to customers at a concessionary rate of
Rs. 10.80 with a heavy loss of Rs. 500 million a day.
The Power and Energy Ministry also focused special attention to
construct more coal power projects other than fuel power projects,
aiming that coal power could be sold at cheaper rates than fuel power.
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The Kerawalapitiya power station. |
As an initial step of the program, the CEB took a decision to
construct three coal power plants at Puttalam, Trincomalee and
Hambantota to generate over 3200 MW.
The construction work on the two coal power stations at Norochcholai
and Puttalam at a cost of USD 455 million has been nearing completion
and a capacity of 900 MW will be added to the national grid by next
month.
Although the construction work came to a standstill at the beginning
of these two power plants over a decade ago due to a series of protest
campaigns staged by people in the areas, the CEB was able to solve the
matter at last by granting the villagers with new lands, houses and also
other infrastructure facilities, such as schools, roads, hospital and
community centres.
Meanwhile, the CEB also commenced construction work of the Upper
Kotmale Hydro power project and the Kerawalapitiya diesel power houses
which will generate over 300 MW.
The annual increase in demand for electricity in the country is 150
MW and to fulfil this objective, the CEB has taken measures to construct
small, medium and large scale power plants in selected areas.
The Power and Energy Ministry has also drawn its attention to the
development of small scale natural energy developments such as wind,
dendro (gliricidia), bio-mass, waste sugar cane and solar power projects
which will benefit people in remote areas.
Accordingly 90 MW are expected from the Narakkalliya wind power
project at Puttalam, 50 MW from waste sugar cane that are disposed from
Pelawatta Sugar Factory, 42 MW from garbage collected from Colombo city
and 180 MW from dendro plants (gliricidia).
In addition, the Ministry has taken steps to construct new power
stations at Embilipitiya, Moneragala, Hambantota and Anuradhapura after
on the spot research and finally took a decision that these areas are
full of potential to construct power plants.
The Power an Energy Ministry has also taken a decision to generate
electricity using natural gas and as a result, two power plants have
been constructed at Kerwalapituiya and Mirissa with the financial
assistance of Iranian Government.
In addition, approval has already been received to develop Ginganga,
Umaoya, Broadland and Moragolla medium scale power plants. According to
Minister Seneviratne, steps have already been taken to construct a
transmission line from Vavuniya to Killinochchi, Jaffna to Killinochchi
and from Ambalangoda to Galle at a cost of US$ 18 million.
He said the CEB has also supplied electricity to the venerated
Somawathi Stupa at a cost of Rs. 18 million.
The power sector has achieved remarkable progress with the designs
and polices implemented last year in keeping with Mahinda Chintana. |
