Coal power projects to begin in June

Sampur plant to add 500 MW to National Grid:

Wasantha Ramanayake

COLOMBO: The Power and Energy Ministry has taken steps to begin the construction of the second and third coal fired power plants in Sampur and Velvuur in Trincomalee in June, a ministry official said.

The proposed power plant in Sampur would add 500 MW to the national grid in 2012, the official said.

The project will be implemented as a joint venture between the Indian company NTPC and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

The NTPC would be in charge of the construction under the supervision of the CEB. A total of 700 acres of lands had been reserved for the two power plants in Sampur and Velvuur.

Minister W.D.J. Senevirathne has instructed to expedite the construction soon after the finishing of surveying of the two sites expected to be completed by the end of April, the official said.

According to the official the first phase of the Sampur power plant would cost US$ 500 million and 70 per cent of the cost would be borne by an international credit line. The rest would be together by the two entities, CEB and the NTPC.

The official added that the plants would be fed by coal with low sulphur content and that the emissions would be 99 per cent free of pollutant emissions.

It was estimated that around 1.1 million metric tons of coal would be imported for the proposed Sampur Power plant annually. A jetty will also be constructed under the project to facilitate unloading and transport of coal from ships to the power plant, the official said.