Shift to renewable power

Shirley WIJESINGHE

The National Power Generation plan had been shifted to renewable power sources from coal power to face the future power crisis, Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

The Sampur coal power project, with the capacity to produce 500 MW would be the last which is scheduled to be completed by 2014 and no more coal power projects will be planned in the future, he added. He was speaking at a media conference organized to explain the arrangement of Vidulka Energy Week exhibition at the BMICH yesterday. Minister Ranawaka said it has been planned to add 200 MWs of power yearly to the national grid .

He said there was no proper power generation policy in the country since 1990.

An islandwide power cut was imposed in 1985. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) had to depend on private power suppliers through their diesel powered generators. As a result, a unit power price had been multiplied by 100 times since 1980. "However the loss incurred by the CEB so far is estimated over Rs149 billion," Minister Ranawaka said.

All generators run by costly diesel will be transformed to use cheaper fuel to cut the expenses, he said.

The Ministry has also planned to provide green and clean electricity facilities by 2012 through sustainable energy sources mitigating all problems, he said.

Referring to the Vidulka Energy Week, the first ever National Energy Exhibition, Minister Ranawaka said it would be helpful to provide publicity to energy industries and to function as a focal point to network of all stakeholders including energy professionals , academia ,industrialists, public and students.