China funds Puttalam coal power project

COLOMBO: The Government of China through the Export Import Bank of China has agreed to provide a credit package in US$ 455 million for the implementation of the proposed Puttalam Coal Power project.

Of this, US$ 300 million is provided as a concessional loan under a Preferential Buyer's Credit Agreement while the balance US$ 155 million is provided under a Buyer's Credit Agreement, the Finance and Planning Ministry said.

The power plant will be built in three phases of 300 MW capacities each up to the final plant capacity of 900 MW. The proceeds of the credit will be used to implement Phase I of the power plant which includes the installation of a 300 MW Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai, Puttalam, all the auxiliary equipment/ systems, including a coal unloading jetty, a 115km power generation line and other infrastructure facilities.

The proposed project will be operated as one of the base load plants with the capacity of operating at partial loads when required, utilising coal as the source of fuel for power generation.

The total cost of the project including the infrastructure such as transmission lines and jetty facilities, is estimated at US$ 455 million.

The weighted average interest rate of the total loan amount of US$ 455 million is approximately 3.5 per cent per annum with a 15 to 20 year repayment period including a grace period of five years.

The loan agreement was signed by Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Planning on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka and Li Yong, Assistant General Manager, Export Import Bank of China on behalf of the Government of China at the Ministry of Finance and Planning.

http://www.dailynews.lk/

Construction of Upper Kothmale power station to begin in December

Thursday, September 21, 2006, 14:24 GMT
Source : ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Sept 21, Colombo: The construction of the 150 Megawatt Upper Kothmale hydropower station will be commenced in December this year.

Around 500 families from Talawakelle whose lands have been acquired for the project will be settled in alternative places as the first step of the construction of the hydropower station, says the Ministry of power and Energy.

"We have already completed the construction of 495 houses. They will be handed over to the families next month. The housing scheme will be equipped with infrastructure including roads, schools, community halls and religious places," a Ministry spokesman said. The construction of the tunnel leading to the power station will be commenced as the next stage of the project.

The Upper Kothmale hydropower project which is estimated to cost around Rs. 92.8 billion is funded by the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation. The project is expected to be completed by 2010.


Japan to fund LNG power plant in Sri Lanka

September 16, 2006 (LBO) – Japan has come forward to help Sri Lanka expand its energy mix, with financial backing to build a liquefied natural gas power plant, a top official said.

Sri Lanka’s Treasury Secretary P B Jayasundara says the government hopes to have an LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) plant up and running by 2009, to compliment a 300 megawatte coal fired power project that is being built with Chinese help.

The South Asian Island, generates nearly 60 percent of electricity through expensive diesel fired thermal plants, with the balance coming from low cost hydro plants.

“We hope to have an LNG plant in Kerawalapitiya by 2009, which will be built with Japanese government assistance,” Jayasundara told a business forum here Saturday.

Cost of electricity generation now ranges between 10-12 rupees per unit, but the state power utility, the Ceylon Electricity Board sells a unit at an average price of about 9.00 rupees.

The government earlier announced plans to set up a 300 megawatte combined cycle plant in Kerawalapitiya, but energy analysts say the project has been delayed due to protracted wrangling within an opaque procurement process with Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers changing terms in mid process.

“Our government is committed to long term power needs. We have started on the coal power plant with Indian government assistance. An LNG plant is in the pipeline to be built with Japanese assistance,” Jayasundara said.

Jayasundara is a key member among the Sri Lankan delegation here for next week’s IMF-World Bank annual meetings.

Organized by the Sri Lankan mission here, the breakfast meeting brought together policymakers and investors doing business in Sri Lanka, who shared tips with prospective investors.

Companies like Dialog Telekom, Thomas de la Rue, Shing Kwan Investment Group, Ceylinco Consolidated, the Colombo Stock Exchange and John Keells Holdings made brief presentations on their investments in Sri Lanka.

CPC again lowered the gasoline (petrol) price by five rupees per litre and diesel and furnace oil by two rupees per litre since last midnight.

Two thermal power plants from Iran to Sri Lanka

Two thermal power plants from Iran to Sri Lanka
Friday, November 3, 2006, 14:07 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Nov 03, Colombo: Sri Lanka is to sign an agreement with Iran to build two, 300- and 500-megawatt thermal power plants in Sri Lanka, Ministry of Power and Energy sources said.

An agreement on construction of the power plants will be signed by the two countries within a couple of days.

The deal was finalised when Sri Lankan Minister of Power and Energy W.D.J. Senevirathna met his Iranian counterpart Parviz Fattah in Teheran.

A number of Sri Lankan experts would also be trained in Iran, under the agreement.

Iran gets greenlight to build liquefied natural gas plant in Sri Lanka

December 2, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka plans to build a 300 megawatte liquefied natural gas plant with Iranian assistance, the government said Saturday.

Cabinet has given the greenlight to carry out a feasibility study to build the plant in Mirissa.

Iran's Energy Ministry is to assist in this project, following a memorandum of understanding signed between Colombo and Teheran earlier this year.

"Iran is highly developed in power plant manufacturing industry and is able to meet the domestic requirement of power plant construction. Sri Lanka power industry can benefit through mutual cooperation between the two countries," the statement said.

I think if we had a huge solar power plant spanning a few sq.km's we would have easy energy. Hydropower station should also be increased in numbers and volumes.

Sri Lanka and India to sign agreement on coal power plant

Thursday, December 28, 2006, 12:19 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 28, Colombo: The Sri Lankan government and the National Thermal Power Corporation of India are to sign an agreement tomorrow to set up a 500 MW coal power plant at Sampur in the Trincomalee district.

Sampur, situated at the southern tip of the mouth of Koddiar Bay, off the famous Trincomalee natural harbour, was re-captured by Sri Lankan government forces from the LTTE rebels recently.

Minister of Power and Energy W.D.J. Seneviratne said the construction of the coal power plant will begin this week. The plant, second of its kind in Sri Lanka, will be jointly owned by the Ceylon Electricity Board and the National Thermal Power Corporation of India.


Is this a wise idea ? To build a power plant in Sampur ?

I think these people trying to put the energy sector in a new crises as the violation continue in those areas, It will be another DEBT for the gov. , if LTTE attack the plant, How ever India did say that they are not in a position to invest a area where conflict occurred, but our Gov. want to make it around that area, Hope that LTTE won't play with that national GRID if they really want to help Tamil people.

Agreement for Sri Lanka's second coal power plant signed

Munza Mushtaq in Colombo, December 29, 2006, 3.36 p.m.

A Memorandum of Agreement was signed between National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC), (a Government of India undertaking), Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and Government of Sri Lanka today at the Presidential Secretariat for the setting up of a 500 MW coal based thermal power plant in Trincomalee (eastern province).

The power plant is expected to commence operations from 2011. With the signing of the Agreement will commence the process of site selection in Trincomalee which will be done on the basis of techno-economic and environmental feasibility studies and other relevant matters including availability of infrastructure etc.

The project would involve an investment of US $ 500 million and would be implemented by a joint venture company to be formed with a stake of 50% each by NTPC Ltd. and CEB. The project would be funded with a debt equity ratio of 70:30. In January 2007, a joint venture agreement between CEB and NTPC, a power purchase agreement between the JV company and CEB, an agreement between BOI and the JV company, implementation agreement and coal supply agreement are expected to be signed.

The Memorandum of Agreement was signed by Mr. T Sankarlingam, CMD, NTPC Ltd, Mr. MMC Ferdinando , Secretary Power and Mr. W.A.S. Perera, Chairman CEB. Mr. Alok Prasad, High Commissioner, Mr. R V Shahi, Secretary (Power), Government of India and other officials of NTPC and the Indian High Commission were also present. The visiting Indian delegation and High Commissioner of India, Mr. Alok Prasad, also called on H.E. President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees.

NTPC is a Government of India undertaking wherein Government owns 89.5% equity. NTPC is one of the top six companies by market capitalization in India. The market capitalization of NTPC is approximately US $ 25 billion. NTPC has been declared successively for a continuous period of 3 years amongst the top three best places to work in India . In the area of environment, all of NTPC plants are accredited with ISO 14001 certification. NTPC is the second largest owner of trees in the country after Government of India. NTPC, the sixth largest power generator in the world, has an installed capacity of 26,000 MW.

http://theacademic.org/

good having all these power plant but it must be very expensive...

See this link, specially the last post about the blunder on HFO. I am no expert on HFO, thus have no idea whether this is true!::ohno:

Proposed Kerawalapitiya power plant runs into crisis (http://www.lankalibrary.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3147)

Sri Lanka to have a mega garbage-driven thermal power plant
Thursday, February 22, 2007, 14:16 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Feb 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka is planning to launch its first thermal power plant driven with garbage. The power plant that will be located in Muthurajawela, a natural wetland in north of Colombo will generate 39 MW and add 32 MW of it to the national grid.

A US company named Plasma Garbification will build the plant as a BOI project. The construction is estimated to cost Rs. 10 billion.

The power plant expects to generate electricity using 1000 metric tonnes of garbage a day. The huge garbage heap in the Blumendal Street will be utilized for electricity generation. Further Colombo city alone adds 20 metric tonnes of garbage per day.

The plant produces sand as a by product and can be used for construction purposes.

Heh 1000 Metric Tonnes of Garbage per day, wouldn't that be a nice challenge to the people of Colombo !

funny but interesting project...

^^

yes that is good news. Economically friendly aswell. 39MW. But some questions. What is the power consumption in Colombo ? How significant is this contribution ?

China to finance major power projects
Including Second, Third phases of Norochcholai power plant:

Ranil Wijayapala in Beijing

BEIJING: The Chinese Government has expressed its consent to finance major power projects including the Second and Third Phases of the Norochcholai coal fired power plant project which will add 600 MWs to the National Grid, Power and Energy Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage who participated at bilateral talks with the Chinese Government officials here in Beijing, told the Daily News yesterday....

CONTINUED: http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/03/02/news01.asp

huge stride in the power sector ! Overall the China trip seems to be worthwhile considering the number of projects coming up. THhis along wit hthe Indian and Iranian plans for a Thermal, garbage driven and coal power plants. ! I wonder what the total power consumption/need in Sri Lanka is. And how much of the need these plants can meet.

Could Someone find the annual power consumption of SL please ? I tried Central Bank site but all I could find was of 2004 or so

Electricity - production:
8.766 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption:
8.17 billion kWh (2005)

this is according to the CIA website!

Well, I got myself one of those handy booklets printed by the statistics Department and it says

production (2005) - 8,768 GWh
Sale (2005) - 7225 GWh

the production is nearly the same as the CIA website but the consumption seems to differ quite a bit!!!!!! so what's the right one?????

CIA looks quite accurate considering that everyone is screaming that we have a power crisis. Maybe the Department didn't include North, North-East

Sri Lanka starts work on a 150MW hydro power plant
(http://lbo.lk/fullstory.php?newsID=167882934&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=4)

April 09, 2007 - Sri Lanka Monday officially kicked off work on building a Japanese funded hydro power project in the island's central hills, which will add 150 mega wattes of power to the national grid, the Japanese embassy here said.

The 33.27 million dollar yen or 30 billion rupee Upper Kotmale project got off the ground under the aegis of Power Minister John Seneviratne and Deputy Head of Mission at the Japanese embassy, Nobuaki Ito.

Authorities hope to connect the power station to the national grid by 2010.

Funded through concessionary terms from Japan Bank for International Cooperation or JBIC, the government will build a 35 meter high and 157 meter long dam across the Kotmale Oya at Thalawakele.

From Thalawakele onwards, the water will be fed through a 12.5 kilometer (7.8 mile) long tunnel to an underground power station at Niyamgamdara.

"The government of Japan has assisted the development of Sri Lanka for over 50 years, and the power sector is one of the most prioritized sectors among the various fields," the Japanese embassy said.

In the past, Japan has helped build the Samanalawewa Hydropower, Kukule Ganga Hydropower, Kelanitissa Combined Cycle Power Plant and many other power distribution projects.

The Japanese government will also help in building the upcoming Keraawalapitiya Combined Cycle Power Plant.


Isn't this the one that is supposed to dry up St.Clair and Devon Falls ?

Good news...

The whole of SL experienced a power cut for a about two hours on sunday...and this was during the holiday season!!!!!!!!! it was very very annoying...shows the state the CEB is in!!! they couldnt fix the problem even after an hour...!!!!!!!! :ohno: :ohno: :ohno:

from LBO:
April 15, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka lost electricity power Sunday as the entire national electricity grid failed shortly before 3.00 pm local time, officials said.


The Ceylon Electricity Board, the country's state-owned power utility, restored power to most parts of the capital Colombo about two hours later.

Officials have not yet pin-pointed the cause, but lightening strikes to main transmission lines has been blamed for previous failures.

The grid has shown a tendency to fail in recent years with the cash-strapped utility needing treasury handouts to pay its debts.

A national failure was last experienced on November 15, with the country plunging into darkness at the start of the evening peak demand hour at 7.30 p.m.

But today's failure occurred during a low demand hour, and at time when there were no reports of significant electrical storm activity, an official said.

Generators at the utility's Kelanitissa thermal complex which were frequently tripping during the last two months due to problems with fuel supply, were also not involved in Sunday's failure.

The CEB's finances are weak with the utility selling power below cost and reforms to the energy giant have also been delayed due to trade union action led by the Sri Lanka's Marxist-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna party.

A total grid failure can have serious negative effects on an industrial economy, and events happen very rarely in industrialized countries.

But the power failed over a holiday weekend while with the country having celebrated a national New Year festival yesterday.

Power sector analysts have been warning that Sri Lanka is heading for another electricity shortage in early 2008 unless steps were taken to bring in additional private sector power early.


Sri Lanka has been under-investing in infrastructure for years, with most of the tax revenues going to sustain a bloated public service or the war.

In the last two years the situation has got worse with 42,000 unemployed graduates being hired into the government and more planned this year.

According to the 2007 budget, 49 cents out of every tax rupee collected will go for wages and pensions of the public sector.

Public sector wages and pensions are not taxed in Sri Lanka.

Its the god damn trade unions that should be mainly responsible for this, and of course the political parties backing them. Why can't we restrict the activites of those bastard unions ? CEB reforms are much overdue, and communist need to learn that state run public services are inefficient aka what happened in Commie Russia, NK.

It is annoying indeed.Hopefully with all the new power plans coming up, there won't be further shortage atleast iby the next decade.

But do we really need a separate thread for this ?? I would have thought that's why we have a Skybar, so that these issues can go there.

my bad...cn merge this with the energy sector thread!!!

..atleast be glad it is not today....to spoil the SL Aussie game :D

Sri Lanka's government is seeking private investment for about $10 billion of power projects in the next 10 years to meet rising electricity demand in the South Asian island.

Sri Lanka needs to increase generation capacity to meet demand that's forecast to grow to 4,250 megawatts from 1,900 megawatts by 2017, said Tissa Herath, additional secretary at the Ministry of Power & Energy. Private companies supply about 40 percent of electricity to the national grid, he said.

``Huge investment is required and the private sector has been a strong partner,'' Herath said at a business conference in the capital Colombo yesterday. ``Growth has to go hand in hand with infrastructure development.''

Sri Lanka, with the highest borrowing costs in Asia, is seeking overseas investment to lift growth in the $26 billion economy to about 8 percent. Sri Lanka's central bank expects economic growth to quicken this year and next as investments in roads, ports and other infrastructure limit the impact of escalating tensions between the military and rebel forces.

Sri Lanka generates about 65 percent of its electricity from oil-fired plants and imports all the fuel it needs to run them. The government plans to boost generation capacity with several mini-hydro, solar and wind-power projects, as the island has exhausted its sources of large-scale hydropower generation.

The Chinese government is helping Sri Lanka build its first coal-fired power plant at Norocholai, north of Colombo. The plant will produce 300 megawatts by 2010 and as much as 900 megawatts as demand rises. The electricity will cost half that of an oil-fired unit.

Power Plant

NTPC Ltd., India's largest power company, in December signed an agreement to build a 500 megawatt coal-fired power plant in the Sri Lankan port town of Trincomalee. The plant is expected to commence operations in 2012, he said.

``The government's policy is to go for low-cost technologies to reduce dependence on oil,'' Herath said.

Surging crude oil prices raised Sri Lanka's oil import bill by 25 percent last year to $2.07 billion. Import costs have been boosted by a depreciating currency.

Sri Lanka needs to build more roads and improve infrastructure linking rural areas to the capital Colombo to meet economic growth targets, the World Bank's director for the South Asian island said.

`Fundamental Driver'

``Increasing infrastructure through private public partnerships is a fundamental driver for the government's ambitious targets,'' Naoko Ishii said at the conference. ``Infrastructure doesn't just bring urban development, but connectivity to markets and for the poor in rural areas.''

The gross domestic product of the island, which is recovering from the 2004 Asian tsunami, grew 7.4 percent last year, buoyed by a 10 percent expansion in the Western province, the home of textile and clothing industries, the biggest export earners.

Sri Lanka is threatened with a resumption of civil war. A 2002 cease-fire collapsed last year as fighting escalated and two attempts to hold peace talks failed in Geneva.

Central bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said on April 30 he expects the economy to expand 7.5 percent this year and 8 percent in 2008.

``Although we are achieving growth, the rural areas are very poor,'' M.B.S. Fernando, chairman of the Road Development Authority, said at the conference. ``Rural roads and electrification are not in a satisfactory condition to attract investment.''

About 45 percent of Sri Lanka's population earns less than $2 a day, according to central bank records.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601013&sid=aqFpq6HCMU54&refer=emergingmarkets

good prospects hope all these projects good ahead and electricty doesnt become a problem in SL...

LBO >> Utilities
Off-Grid
15 June 2007 16:52:13
Sri Lanka to light up rural homes with renewable energy


June 15, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will be able to light up 60,000 rural homes and also connect new private-sector renewable energy to the urban power grid with a new World Bank credit, the multilateral lender said.


Only three-fourths of households in Sri Lanka have grid-connected power and it is too expensive for the cash-strapped utility to electrify remote villages, though most rural areas have been given power.

"We would like to focus on the provision of energy services to some of the 25 percent of the Sri Lankan population that has no access to electricity at home," said World Bank's Country Director Naoko Ishii said in a statement.

The 4.4 billion-rupee (40 million dollar) soft loan will help boost grid-connecting capacity by 50 Mega Watts and extend off-grid electricity services to 60,000 more households and 500 rural micro- and small-scale enterprises, she added.

The main aim of the first project was to bring electricity to remote communities and individual households through village-led electricity societies and provide solar energy services, the World Bank said.

"The productive use of electricity has resulted in an increase of non-farm incomes of rural households; and improved the delivery of social services such as health and education through customized electricity provisions."

A previous project funded by the World Bank provided 74,000 solar power systems to 3,200 households and nine schools, enabling them to give computers to school children.

More than 66,000 homes also switched from kerosene to solar systems while 750 business enterprises benefited from off-grid electricity for various income generating activities, the statement said.

It also helped strengthen the generation supply of the national grid through private sector-owned mini-hydro, wind, and other renewable energy projects that feed into the grid.

The generation capacity added to the national grid through renewable energy technologies by the private sector has exceeded 55 MW (about 2.4% of the installed capacity) within a period of four years.

The new loan includes refinancing support for grid-connected renewable energy, investment in solar power technology (photovoltaic) and further commercialization of village hydro and other community-based independent grid systems, the World Bank said.

The credit is provided by the International Development Association, the World Bank's concessionary lending arm, and has 20 years to maturity and a 10-year grace period.

LBO >> Utilities
Heaven Sent
16 June 2007 21:13:25
Sri Lanka rains may allow power utility to avoid blackouts


June 16, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's power utility has increased its hydro storage after heavy rains in the last three days, and if the trend continues it may be able to avoid power cuts in the immediate future, LBO learns.


The Ceylon Electricity Board warned that power cuts were imminent after monsoon rains were delayed and hydro storage fell to the equivalent of 450 million units (GigaWatt hours) of electricity.

At any given time the utility has the capacity to store enough water to generate 1,200 million units (GigaWatt hours) of energy. Power cuts have earlier been imposed when storage fell below 400 GWh.

During the last three days, heavy rains to the western slopes of Sri Lanka's central hill region where a number of hydro plants are located had increased storage by about 30 million units, officials said.

Already small reservoirs in the Laxapana hydro generation complex in the upper reaches of the Kelani River as well as the newly built Kukule is operating 24 hours a day and are spilling.

However officials warn that unless hydro storage increases to at least 1,000 GWh by the end of the year, power cuts would be inevitable in the first quarter of next year.

The Ceylon Electricity Board's engineers have been pushing the utility to advertise early for additional thermal capacity or at least kick off a self-generation scheme to avoid expensive emergency power acquisitions or blackouts later.

Emergency power is expensive, but the margins for the seller of the energy are higher.

However decision-making requires approval from higher authorities, and political interference in the last two and a half decades has ensured that the long-term generation plan of the utility has not been implemented, resulting in expensive alternatives.

As result of continued political interference in decision-making the utility is now generating base-load from gas turbines, which is the most expensive thermal energy source and which is only used during peak hours by other power firms.

A new controversy has now arisen relating to a 300 MegaWatt combined cycle plant, which is a two stage power generating process where waste heat from a gas turbine is used to drive a steam turbine.

While the requirement is for a plant with two gas turbines one of which could be shut down during off-peak times authorities are trying to push a single plant which engineers have said will complicate operations, and force cheaper plants to be stopped instead.

Due to political interference and protests from environmentalists, coal power plants have been delayed for more than two decades.

The uitlity is now getting a Chinese coal plant, instead of the earlier Japanese one, but financing is yet to come for the contractor to start work.

COLOMBO: The Government is embarking on a number of massive electricity projects exceeding an investment of US$ 1,000 million over the next few years to avert any power crisis.

The biggest project is the coal-fired Norochcholai power plant, an investment of US$ 455 million.

“The plant will be fully operational by 2012, adding 900 MW adding to the national grid. The 300 MW first phase will be operational by 2009,” Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne said.

“The Ministry had already taken steps to add another 3,000 MW to the national grid using coal power in the next six years. Three new coal-fired power plants are due to be constructed in Trincomalee, Hambantota and Mawella apart form the already commenced construction of the Norochcholai power plant,” Minister Seneviratne said.

The Ministry is also building a US$ 326 million Multi Fuel Combined Cycle Power Plant in Kerawalapitiya as a more short-term solution. The significant feature of the plant is that it can be operated using diesel, furnace oil or even Liquified Natural Gas (LNG).

Initially 200 MW of power could be generated by gas turbines by July 2008 and another 100 MW generated by the steam could be added later by July 2009.

The second stage of the Upper Kotmale power project is already under construction. The power station will add 150 MW to the national grid by 2010.

The construction cost of the second phase - the dam, tunnel and the underground power station is estimated to cost Rs.10.7 billion.

According to the Minister, the Government would look into the possibility of developing all possible alternative sources of electricity such as coal fired power, wind, biogas, solar and mini hydro power to shift the heavy dependency of diesel powered electricity accountable for the 60 per cent of total generation.

Nice projects, but who is going to pay for them. Hope all of them will be implemented...

LBO >> Utilities
Unplugged
05 July 2007 19:00:28
Sri Lanka power engineers pull the plug on unsolicited deals


July 05, 2007 (LBO) – A powerful engineers union in Sri Lanka's state power utility has pulled its members from teams negotiating a raft of unsolicited deals, saying the process stifled competition and lacked transparency.


The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers' Union (CEBEU) says its members will not process applications or participate in technical evaluation committees and working groups relating to five projects from today.

They are the Kerawalapitiya Mitsubishi power plant (300 MegaWatts), Enercon wind power project (40MW), Broadlands hydro power (50MW), Pelwatte co-generated bio-mass plant and a Siemens proposal for upgrading nine grid substations.

The union had earlier complained that lower cost plants in the CEB's long-term generation plan are being delayed and ad hoc expensive substitutions are being made based on unsolicited proposals.

"This trend leads to a very unhealthy situation of unplanned projects being forced on the CEB with no competition or transparency," the engineers union said in a letter to the chairman of the utility.

"It has become a habit that government tender procedures are not followed in large power projects.

"The CEBEU believes that this practice leads to corruption and malpractices in addition to the CEB being landed with unsuitable and inferior quality plant and equipment at exorbitant prices."

The engineers union had earlier warned against the configuration of the Mitsubishi combined cycle plant, and also against the high tariff promised for the wind power project.

Earlier this year World Bank's most senior official in the country warned of the dangers of unsolicited proposals in public-private partnership projects, saying it could lead to controversy and corruption allegations.

World Bank Country Director Naoko Ishii said, Sri Lanka needs guidelines to deal with unsolicited proposals.

One option was to have competitive bidding after a giving a transparent advantage to the first proposer of a good idea.

The CEB is running huge losses with politicians blocking moves to raise prices.

The utility also under-prices power to export industries the end-products of which are ultimately bought largely by consumers in the United States and the EU.


Due to political interference and environmentalists protests, a low cost coal power has been delayed for more than a decade and the utility now runs gas turbines to generate base-load.

Aug 03, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to visit the construction site of the country's first ever coal power generation plant this week, Ministry of Power and Energy announced.

The Chairmen of the China National Machinery & Equipment Company (CMEC) and the Exim Bank of China are also to accompany the President. The CMEC Company of China has scheduled to commence the construction of the coal power plant in Norochcholai in the North Western Province next week. Exim Bank has provided the funds for the project.

72 families who lived in the land that was taken over for the construction of the plant have been resettled in alternative places. The widening and development of the Puttalam-Kalpitiya highway that leads to the coal power plant has already commenced.

Colombo Page (http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/August3135419SL.html)

NICe news also the road improvement curious about that too...

NICe news also the road improvement curious about that too...

MR seems to have clear vision on his development agenda^^

http://i14.************/4vsrnev.jpg
The President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the Government has inaugurated massive development programmes in the East emphasized the imperative need for establishment of peace in the North to commence development activities. President also stressed that the highest estimated cost allocated for a development project in Sri Lanka is reserved for the construction work of the Norachchole Power Plant. President said that although there are many challenges and obstacles ahead in directing the country towards success, there is no possibility of holding the development projects and postponing them to tomorrow.
http://i9.************/4l3b0ww.jpg
President Rajapaksa expressed these views while addressing the participants who joined with him on the observation tour to inspect the construction work of the Norrachchole Power Plant.

Norochchole Power Plant will contribute 900 Mega Watts to the national grid after completion by 2015. The first phase of this Coal Power Project is expected to be completed by 2011.. The construction works of the first phase have now been commenced.

The Government of China has extended their fullest cooperation for this mega project which is a good indicator to symbolize the long lasting friendship between the two nations. The Chinese Government has contributed with a financial aid of US$ 455 million under the long term repayment loan scheme.

People who get displaced due to the construction of this project have been completely provided with fully completed houses and with all the other facilities including drinking water, road facility, and transportation systems. The Government has spent Rs.936 million for all the above activities.

Further the President Rajapaksa said that this project would have served the country by now if the construction work of this Power Plant started on time, when it was first planned.

President added that although the oil price has dramatically increased in the world market the Government has taken steps to supply oil at a lower price to the Electricity Board to prevent public getting the burden on high electricity bills. After the completion of this project the cost for the electricity will be reduced, President said.

President conveyed his gratitude towards the Government of China for their massive contribution in making this project a reality.

Ambassador of China- Ye Dabo, Representatives of the C.M.E.C. company, Minister of Power and Energy-W.D.J. Seneviratne, Minister of Power- Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Minister Susil Prema Jayantha, Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Minister Filex Perera and several other delegates participated at the event.
http://i15.************/4tp692w.jpg
http://i10.************/66mertw.jpg
News LK (http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3111&Itemid=44)

Nice, lets hope it is completed properly and on time...

Great render of the power plant there and a nice update too. But whats up with those goggles worn by the commando dude, a little on the extreme side ? They should have being issued to the guys on the frontlines :)

Great render of the power plant there and a nice update too. But whats up with those goggles worn by the commando dude, a little on the extreme side ? They should have being issued to the guys on the frontlines :)

Those are mahinda's Buddies:lol:

can I ask what is the point in posting pics of politicians every time a new project is started ?? I can understand the reason why the press photographers are more keen on photographing politicians rather than projects but cant understnad why I have to see their pics in SSC too :lol:

would rather like to see plans and photo of the actual project itself... if any.

can I ask what is the point in posting pics of politicians every time a new project is started ?? I can understand the reason why the press photographers are more keen on photographing politicians rather than projects but cant understnad why I have to see their pics in SSC too :lol:

would rather like to see plans and photo of the actual project itself... if any.

This is SL, remember Politicians first:lol:

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) yesterday entered into an agreement for the establishment of the country’s first ever energy recovery project in Muturajawela at a cost of approximately US$100 million.

The Letter of Intent (LOI) was issued by the CEB to the Colombo Renewable Energy to produce 40 Mega Watts of power from waste in Muturajawela for a concessional period of 20 years. “The electricity demand of the country is increasing 8 to 10% and we want to give electricity to all the people in Sri Lanka by 2017”, Minister of Power and Energy W.D. John Seneviratne stated at the signing ceremony held yesterday. The LOI issued to Colombo Renewable Energy Ltd signals a new era in power generation as well as a solid waste management in Sri Lanka.

“Nearly one fourth of the population is not provided with electricity yet but Sri Lanka is fortunate enough to have 75% of the population served with grid electricity compared to the neighbouring countries such as India and Bangladesh who haven’t even reached the 40% mark,” it was stated.

The minister pointed out that with the world nearing its darkest hour in fossil fuel use and with the possibility of crude oil expected to shoot up to US$100, there “is no longer a fiction and we as the nation have to be prepared to face this situation.”

Seneviratne noted that the “urgent and erroneous” decision taken previously resulted in heavy dependence on oil for power generation.

“The energy sector is gripped by the effect of the expenditure on oil imports plunging the CEB as well as the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation into deep crisis”, Mr. Seneviratne added.

A cost based, technology specific tariff has been designed and offered by the Government inviting not only mini-hydro but wing, biomass, municipal aster, agricultural waste and even waste heat recovery projects to come into the power generation.

This project is initiated to solve Colombo’s waste disposable problems by utilising the RDF that is made from Colombo’s Municipal Solid Waste for generating power which will result in significant reductions from green house emissions which is normally released by both waste burning incinerators and landfills. This will be the first energy recovery project to be implemented in Sri Lanka.
Financial Times (http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/08/16/ft/7.asp)

The Cabinet has granted its approval to a Memorandum submitted by Hon. W.D.J. Seneviratne, Minister of Power and Energy authorizing the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mitsubishi Cooperation enabling the Cooperation to mobilize a consultant immediately to undertake the above feasibility study.

CEB or the Government will not bear any cost on the study that is scheduled to be finished in six months and CEB will only provide all facilities including technical inputs.

While the Project Committee appointed by the National Procurement Agency and the Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee processes are in progress the Mitsubishi Cooperation proposed to sign a MoU for carrying out the said feasibility study. This is to satisfy the construction of LNG terminal/Jetty and other related infrastructure, conversion of all other LFO operated plants of CEB in to LNG operated ones and continuous supply of LNG for 15 years.

The Long Term Generation Expansion Plan of the CEB for 2006 – 2020 envisages 545Mw of additional Thermal Power to be added to the grid during the period of 2008 – 2009 of which 200Mw power has to be added to the grid by 2008 and 345 Mw by 2009 to avert the looming power crisis.

Cabinet Decisions (http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3209&Itemid=51)

Both articles are very positive and show some good signs for the energy sector...

Sri Lanka to-date has dismally failed in its quest for self-sufficiency in power or simply electricity. Moving in the footsteps of our forefathers, the country was lit by electricity generated by hydro-based sources. The generation was far below our requirements.

It is an accepted fact however that electricity is a crucial pre-request for development. Electricity should also be made available at an affordable price to the consumer. Development and an envisaged economic growth rate of around 8 per cent, sans electricity is a myth.

Referring to the paramount importance of this scarce resource of electricity in the overall development of his country, the Soviet Union's founder V.I. Lenin had quite rightly sees that a backward agricultural country could evolve itself into a newly industrialised nation, only when its power requirements are met.

Nevertheless, for more than fifty years of our post-independence era, the hydro-power generation was effected by the rivers which originated from the central hills and flowed down the slopes of the country.

The hydro-power stations of Lakshapana, Samanala, Wimalasurendra, Canyon, Nava Lakshapana, Ukuwela, Bowatenna, Kothmale, Victoria, Randenigala, Rantambe, Samanalaweva, Inginiyagala, Udawalawe and Kukuleganga belonged to this category which contributed to generate around 1209 megawatts of power to the national grid.

The power thus generated was only limited to 35 per cent of the total demand envisaged by the country. The growth in population, broadbased economic development, local and foreign investment and large-scale industrialisation and other demographic factors had contributed immensely to the equation. The supply was far below the demand and it was evident that the country was heading for a crisis situation in the energy sector.

The balance requirement of around 65 per cent of the country's energy was provided by the existing Diesel-powered stations located in an ad-hoc manner around the country. The escalating costs of oil in the world market by the day, proved beyond doubt that the diesel-powered generator was not the panacea for the aggravating energy crisis.

Ever since the crisis surfaced in the early seventies or even earlier, several schools of thought emerged within the power and energy fraternity among scholars and intellectuals. Alternatives were suggested, plans were drawn up and feasibility studies made.

Every alternative project had its inherent strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats, merits and demerits and of course a share of advantages and disadvantages. None was perfect and sans blemish.

The origins of a coal-powered plant could be traced back to the early 1980s. However, plans for the first ever construction of a coal power plant at Norochcholai in the Kalpitiya peninsula, Puttalam district and the North Western Province of Sri Lanka, was made in the 1990s.

The most significant and relevant in the plant's installation was its environmental impact which had been closely studied and analysed. However, their findings were sometimes exaggerated or highlighted with misinformation, misjudgement or occasionally with malice.

Albeit the coal plant was a blessing in disguise to the region, to some it looked a monster which had descended to destroy the whole of the Puttalam district. Some analysts argued that the plant would cause the loss of livelihood to the local farmining and fishing communities.

Communities instigated by these theories took to the streets in protest. Political exigencies over-whelmed a crucial national issue and a necessity. Consequently, the construction of the plant in Norochcholai had been delayed by a decade.

The status quo still remained and dominated all other concerns. We are consistently confronted with the burning issue of rising oil prices in the global markets, and the resulting hikes in electricity tariffs which are believed to be the highest in Asia if not the world.

The ever-increasing electricity costs are driving the domestic consumer from pillar to post and crippling the small, medium and large-scale industrial sector as well. A sustainable solution to the energy crisis had to be found, and found soon, or be doomed. It was in this backdrop that President Mahinda Rajapaksa symbolically inaugurated the long-overdue and stagnant 'Coal-Power' plant at Norochcholai recently.

As the Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne noted at the function, it was President Rajapaksa's strong political will and his astute leadership that made this event a reality.

The inauguration invariably marked a great leap forward in the government's genuine efforts of solving the energy crisis within the next few years.

This endeavour was yet another true manifestation of the 'Mahinda Chintanaya', in the provision of 'Electricity for All' policy. Recognising the necessity and the urgency of the Norochcholai Plant at the present juncture, President Rajapaksa urged all the stakeholders of the project to expedite the construction process. "If not for the unfortunate setbacks this project had to face in the past, instead of inaugurating, I could have commissioned it today", he said.

"As electricity tariffs are entwined with the global oil market prices which are continuously rising, I urge all concerned to complete the project at least one year ahead of schedule", the President further said at the epoch-making symbolic inauguration ceremony which marked a paradigm shift in the landscape of power and energy in Sri Lanka.

Despite the ongoing conflict in the North and the East, the President in his wisdom, vision and with foresight took the bold decision of launching the Norochcholai, Upper Kotmale and the Kerawalapitiya power plants which would contribute around 3000 megawatts of power to the national grid by 2015.

The mega development project did dislodge and displace 72 odd families domiciled in the region. Nonetheless, President Rajapaksa, a people's leader being deeply concerned about their welfare, had directed the relevant ministries to do the needful to mitigate and minimise the address effects on the people.

These 72 displaced families have been provided alternative new housing with all amenities and infrastructural facilities, inclusive of potable water, electricity, roads, transport and the like, in a housing complex at Daluwa in Norochcholai.

Rural electrification facilities have been provided for Norochcholai, Daluwa, Senapura and Narakkalliya. Work is already under way in the 40 feet wide, 40 kilometre stretch of the Puttalam-Kalpitiya road.

The Power Plant will undoubtedly be of yeoman service to the people of the Puttalam district in their path to progress. Around 3000 jobs are to be generated directly by the project for the people of the Puttalam district. The Power and Energy Ministry has also agreed to grant them a 50 per cent tariff reduction on their electricity bills.

Last but not the least, the assistance and co-operation extended by the Chinese Government in making this mega project a reality should be greatly appreciated.

The financial services offered by the Chinese EXIM Bank and the CMEC Company of China to whom the construction of the plant has been assigned to, should also come in for praise.

sundayobserver (http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2007/08/19/new20.asp)

Really touching and informative article, I hope there will not be any further setbacks becuase this project is of immense importance to the country...

Global Environmental Technologies and Golden Sunrise (Private) Limited which is a BOI enterprise will invest Euro 30 million on fertilizer production and power generation project in Sri Lanka.

This project will contribute towards improving the environment in Sri Lanka. The company will collect waste material initially and use it for the production of organic fertilizer, and at a latter stage this will be used for power generation.

Chairman of Golden Sunrise Company Gamini Karunadhara said his company would be using advanced German technology in this waste transformation.

The company plans to process 500 tonnes of garbage to make 100 tonnes of organic fertilizer per day. In the second phase, the process will be used for electric power generation and initially they will produce 9.8 megawatts of electricity. The contribution of Golden Sunrise to the National Grid has been approved by the CEB.

DN (http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/10/02/bus03.asp)

Finally a nice project, which is also easy to be implemented, great stuff...

India’s largest power generation company NTPC is now jointly conducting pre-feasibility studies with the Ceylon Electricity Board to set up a 500 MW coal –based thermal power plant near China Bay in Trincomalee.

The soil testing and site selection process is now under way, a senior official of the CEB Project Director’s office told The Sunday Times FT. “The new site is north of Trincomalee while the earlier site was south of it. We have selected the site and it looks okay. We now have to sign the power purchase agreement,” said the senior NTPC executive who did not wish to be identified. The project in Sri Lanka is important for NTPC to globally demonstrate its ability to set up power projects in other countries. The company also plans to set up power plants in Nigeria, which is allocating long-term supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to fuel NTPC’s plants in India

The Trincomalee coal power project is an attempt by India to engage its neighbours both politically and economically; the Indian Navy has access to the Bay of Trincomalee under an accord signed by the two countries. The NTPC plant is expected to significantly enhance power supplies in the island nation. Sri Lanka has a total power-generation capacity of only 2,500MW, against India’s capacity of 130,000MW.

“Sri Lanka is in need of power generation (capacity) as the country’s power supply is inadequate. Being a major power generation player in this part of the world, it is a good thing for NTPC to set up projects outside India,” an Indian diplomatic source told The Sunday Times FT. NTPC’s Sri Lankan project involves an investment of $500 million and is to be set up in a joint venture with the Ceylon Electricity Board. It is expected to be commissioned by 2011. The project will be set up on a build, operate, own and transfer basis and will have a debt-to-equity ratio of 70:30.

It will use around 2.5 million tonnes per annum of imported coal, which is likely to be to be sourced from Australia and Indonesia.

ST (http://www.sundaytimes.lk/071021/FinancialTimes/ft308.html)

Another project off the ground:cheers:

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- Octagon Consolidated Bhd's subsidiary, Green Energy and Technology Sdn Bhd will build a US$115 million waste to energy plant for Sri Lanka's Colombo Renewable Energy (Pvt) Ltd.

Octagon is the first ever Malaysian company to export renewable energy technology, the company said in a statement here Monday.

Green Energy would formally ink the agreement to design, construct, commission and operate the waste to energy plant on Tuesday here.

-- BERNAMA

Sounds very interesting, hope it works out... BTW does that count as FDI?

Sounds very interesting, hope it works out... BTW does that count as FDI?

Not sure:ohno:

BOI approved Company Renewable Energy (Pvt.) Ltd. (CRE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Plasma Renewable Energy Sdn Bhd of Malaysia has entered into a USD 115 million Technical Services Agreement to implement the first Waste to Energy project in Sri Lanka.

The official contract was signed at the Shangri La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on October 23, 2007 between the two parties; while CRE has secured finance for the Technical Services which will be followed by construction activities.The Construction of phase one of the projects is expected to commence prior to June 2008 and will include the disposal of 90 tons per day of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated from an existing compost plant in Sedawatta and the waste from the Bloeumendhal dumpsite. This phase of the project will generate up to 20MW of clean renewable energy and is expected to be operational by end 2009. Work on the remaining phases will commence upon the start of operations of phase one. All the waste material will be supplied by Burns Trading (Pvt) Ltd. under a long term Agreement that has been concluded between Burns and CRE.

With the signing of the Technical Services Agreement, a waste study has begun by experts from the UK who are stationed at the Bloeumendhal site to carry their work.
The energy produced by the renewable energy plant in Colombo will produce clean renewable energy at the highest efficiencies and highest international environmental standards.

DM (http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/11/03/ft/1.asp)

Yipi less waste and pollution, more electricity, superb plan, hope it works well...

Nov 09, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will shortly call for the supply of 200MegaWatts of private power to bridge an energy deficit until a coal plant comes on stream, officials said.

Energy Minister John Seneviratne told LBO that the cabinet of ministers had given the nod to call for proposals from existing independent power producers (IPPs) to supply the capacity this week.

The state-owned Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is hoping that by expanding capacity at existing sites it would be able to buy power at a slightly lower rate than from greenfield projects.

Seneviratne says the CEB is looking for the cheapest suppliers who are expected to use furnace oil burning plants.

By July-August 2008 a 200MW gas turbine stage of a 300MW combined cycle plant in Kerawalapitiya, just north of Colombo is scheduled to come on stream.

Its 100MW steam stage is expected to be connected a year later.

However uncertainty remains over when a Chinese funded coal plant in Puttalam would be completed, though it is hoped that it would be finished by 2011 or 2012.

A 150MW hydro plant in Upper Kotmale in the hill country is also expected to completed around that time.

In early 2008 the CEB is also expected to face a power crunch until the Kerawalapitiya combined cycle plant comes on line, though officials are hoping to avoid power cuts if there is sufficient rain.

With the government aiming for economic growth of around 7 percent power demand is expected to grow around 8 to 10 percent a year.

Officials say in the first nine months of the year energy demand has only grown by five percent and in 2006 it was only eight percent.

Energy experts say plants such as Lakdhanavi and Heladanavi would be well placed to give additional power.

Some others such as those operated by the Aitken Spence group are located in areas which lack sufficient transmission line capacity to export the power to the grid.

The CEB is in dire financial straits as it has been run to the ground to feed the populist ideals of politicians who want to give cheap power to the country in a bid to buy votes.

The government has promised not to increase electricity or fuel prices until the end of the year.

The building of the coal plant has been delayed for about two decades due to political interference, forcing the utility to buy expensive liquid thermal power.

Sri Lanka's politicians had consistently undermined the carefully laid long-term generation plans of the utility, for political expediency.

The purchase of 200MW of additional power through smaller internal combustion engines could mean that a controversial second combined cycle plant may not come on line.

The smaller plants would optimize the use of generating capacity after the coal plant comes on line.

Engineers had previously opposed a Japanese funded large second combined cycle plant as it would have made it difficult balance demand and supply after the coal plant is connected to the grid.

.
LBO (http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?newsID=36936996&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=4)

The Chinese Daytang Power Group Company has come forward to construct a 300 MW Thermal Power Plant in the Southern province, which is a result of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s State visit to China.

A group of delegates led by Daytang Power Group Company Chairman Shai Royu who visited Sri Lanka held discussions with Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion Minister Sarath Amunugama in connection with the establishment of the Thermal Power plant in the Southern Province.

Minister Amunugama explained about the infrastructure facilities and other essential facilities granted to foreign investors in Sri Lanka.

Daytang Power Group Company is the only Chinese Power Company which is listed in Hong Kong and UK Share markets.

DN (http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/11/19/news48.asp)

One more thermal plant isn't good idea due to rising crude oil:ohno:

http://i8.************/878oo6v.gif
Work on the 300 MW Liquid Natural Gas (LMG) Combined Cycle Power Plant is progressing satisfactorily raising hopes for not so expensive electricity in the future. LNG is far cheaper than heavy fuel power generation. Recently Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Director Economic Research Dr. P N Weerasinghe, and Employees Provident Fund Superintendent L Y Dharmasena with Board of Investment Chairman Dhammika Perera visited the plant for an inspection on the progress of the construction work. Here the visiting team being briefed by Dhammika Nanayakkara, Engineering Manager/ Kerawalapitiya Project during this visit. (Inset) a model of the upcoming plant

Work on the Rs. 5 billion:lol: :ohno:(never learn the RS & $$:lol:
)coal power project in Trincomalee will commence in January 2008, Minister of Power and Energy W.D.J. Seneviratne told the Sunday Observer.

The project will be implemented jointly by the National Thermal Power Generation Company (NTPC) of India and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

"With the implementation of the project the country's power generation capacity will increase by another 300 MW. The project will commence operations by 2011. The plant will require around 2.5 million tons of coal annually. Coal will be imported from Australia and Indonesia," he said. "The government has also decided to proceed with the proposed Coal Power Plant at Hambantota with the help of the Indian government," the Minister said.

The country's annual power requirement is around 7,600 MW. Of this nearly 4,100 MW is generated from hydro power stations and the rest from diesel power stations.

The CEB spends over Rs. 80 million per day on fuel to generate power. The same amount of electricity can be produced with Rs. 32 million at Rs. 4.00 per unit, through a coal power plant.

Meanwhile, an Indian diplomatic source said the project is vital for both countries. It will be the first project that will be set up outside India.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2007/11/25/new12.asp

Good news...Can someone make a list of all the new power plants and projects...

The $500 million thermal power project of Indian power behemoth NTPC Ltd at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka is expected to begin early next year.

"The work on the 500 MW project is expected to begin early next year and the site for the project will be decided at the earliest," Minister of Power and Energy W D J Seneviratne said.

The project had run into rough weather following the selection of site for setting up the power plant in the Eastern Province.

The $500 million power would to be implemented by a 50:50 joint venture company to be formed by NTPC and Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

It would be set up on a build, operate, own and transfer basis and would have a debt to equity ratio of 70:30.

"Though we have signed a MoU for this power project a few months ago the work will start in early 2008 and we should be able to be complete it within three years," the minister said.

NTPC and CEB had signed an agreement for this purpose in December 2006.

The exact site for the location of the plant is to be decided by a team of experts including those from NTPC.

The Government has reportedly identified Sampur, as a possible location.

But, when asked whether Sampur would be the location for setting up the power plant, Seneviratne said it has not yet been decided.

Economic Times

Iran will build a 150-megawatt electricity power plant in Sri Lanka, the deputy of Iran's Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) has declared.

Parviz Rezayi, the Deputy of the TPO in the Commercial Affairs of the Asia-Pacific region, said that the "expansion of bilateral ties requires enhancing cooperation especially in the field of exporting technical and engineering services," IRNA reported.

Rezayi said that the value of trade interactions between the two countries amounted to $730 million during the last year.

Sri Lanka's main export item to Iran is tea, and Iran supplies more than 70 percent of the crude oil Sri Lanka needs.

The Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, arrived in Tehran on Monday for talks with President Ahmadinejad.

Rajapaksa said that both countries are capable of boosting cooperation in various fields, adding that his country supports Iran's political stance on international issues.

MGH/MMN

I hope all these power projects do happen, if yes then we will not have major power interuptions in the future...

President Mahinda Rajapaksa ended his four-day official visit to Japan on a high note, securing both financial assistance and technical expertise worth nearly Yen 2,000 million.

The most notable happening on the final day of his visit yesterday was a significant agreement with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).
http://i15.************/6o4752o.jpg
Picture by Chandana Perera
President Mahinda Rajapaksa meets Governor of Japan Bank for International Cooperation Koji Tanami.

JBIC Governor Koji Tanami met President Rajapaksa at the Imperial Hotel before Sri Lanka and JBIC signed the agreement through which the Japanese financial assistance would be channeled.

During his meeting with top JBIC officials, President Rajapaksa thanked for the assistance over the last few years. He recalled how JBIC funded the Uda Walawe project and said the people in those areas are now enjoying the benefits.

He also commended the yeomen service by JBIC on various road development projects, including the Colombo-Matara highway, as well as in the fields of ports and fisheries.

With the fast-changing world that now encourage eco-friendly projects, Sri Lanka would embark on a special Liquified Nitrogen Gas (LNG) project at Kerawalapitiya. The US$ 610-million project, which would generate electricity from biogas, would be an effective mean to face future power crisis.

The Japanese Government would meet almost two third of the total cost of the project, pumping in as many as US$ 400 million. At a time the world is focusing more on eco-friendly ventures, the LNG project would be a big boost for Sri Lanka’s economy in the long run.

The project that would generate electricity from biogas would help cut down fuel costs and also protect environment. The total power generation expected is 300 MW.

JBIC Governor, Koji Tanami (Japan) and Power and Energy, Ministry Secretary, M.M.C. Ferdinando (Sri Lanka) signed the agreement on behalf of the two countries.

Japan would also contribute both technical and financial assistance to establish a Coastguard Department. Japan’s Lands, Infrastructure and Tourism Minister Tetsuzo Fuyushiba held successful talks with President Rajapaksa in this regard.

The Japanese Ministry agreed to provide technical assistance, in addition to the costs involved in setting up the unit.

DN (http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/12/13/news01.asp)

President Mahinda Rajapaksa ended his four-day official visit to Japan on a high note, securing both financial assistance and technical expertise worth nearly Yen 2,000 million.

The most notable happening on the final day of his visit yesterday was a significant agreement with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).
http://i15.************/6o4752o.jpg
Picture by Chandana Perera
President Mahinda Rajapaksa meets Governor of Japan Bank for International Cooperation Koji Tanami.

JBIC Governor Koji Tanami met President Rajapaksa at the Imperial Hotel before Sri Lanka and JBIC signed the agreement through which the Japanese financial assistance would be channeled.

During his meeting with top JBIC officials, President Rajapaksa thanked for the assistance over the last few years. He recalled how JBIC funded the Uda Walawe project and said the people in those areas are now enjoying the benefits.

He also commended the yeomen service by JBIC on various road development projects, including the Colombo-Matara highway, as well as in the fields of ports and fisheries.

With the fast-changing world that now encourage eco-friendly projects, Sri Lanka would embark on a special Liquified Nitrogen Gas (LNG) project at Kerawalapitiya. The US$ 610-million project, which would generate electricity from biogas, would be an effective mean to face future power crisis.

The Japanese Government would meet almost two third of the total cost of the project, pumping in as many as US$ 400 million. At a time the world is focusing more on eco-friendly ventures, the LNG project would be a big boost for Sri Lanka’s economy in the long run.

The project that would generate electricity from biogas would help cut down fuel costs and also protect environment. The total power generation expected is 300 MW.

JBIC Governor, Koji Tanami (Japan) and Power and Energy, Ministry Secretary, M.M.C. Ferdinando (Sri Lanka) signed the agreement on behalf of the two countries.

Japan would also contribute both technical and financial assistance to establish a Coastguard Department. Japan’s Lands, Infrastructure and Tourism Minister Tetsuzo Fuyushiba held successful talks with President Rajapaksa in this regard.

The Japanese Ministry agreed to provide technical assistance, in addition to the costs involved in setting up the unit.

DN (http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/12/13/news01.asp)

It should go towards coal powerplants instead of LNG. Coal powerplants could also be developed in partnership with overseas companies on a concession basis, thereby saving money that could be utilised to upgrade the old hydro plants for more efficiency. New hydro plants should also be constructed wherever. However at least they are trying to avert a future power crisis by doing this LNG project. They should also try to upgrade the current diesel powerplants so that they can accept LNG as well.

It should go towards coal powerplants instead of LNG. Coal powerplants could also be developed in partnership with overseas companies on a concession basis, thereby saving money that could be utilised to upgrade the old hydro plants for more efficiency. New hydro plants should also be constructed wherever. However at least they are trying to avert a future power crisis by doing this LNG project. They should also try to upgrade the current diesel powerplants so that they can accept LNG as well.

yep, but 2 coal power plant already under construction:)

I really cant see which coal power project their talking about, how can they manage with so many different, yet similar power projects...

I really cant see which coal power project their talking about, how can they manage with so many different, yet similar power projects...

karawalapitiya cycle power plant & Norochcholai coal power plant are under construction:)

yep, but 2 coal power plant already under construction:)

But LNG costs more to purchase than coal, doesnt it? Plus the other combined cycle 300MW project is already being built to handle LNG. They should convert the existing diesel plants to LNG and build a LNG terminal ASAP to save on costs as it is still way cheaper than diesel. :)

China to back third coal power plant in Sri Lanka
Saturday, December 29, 2007, 6:55 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Dec 29, Colombo: Government sources said that China has expressed her willingness to fund the construction of the third coal power plant in Sri Lanka. The proposed power plant will be the second coal power plant to be built under the monetary and technical aid from the Chinese government.

According to the government sources the new power plant will be located in Trincomalee. Two other power plants are to be built at Norochcholai, Puttalam and Trincomalee under mega power project of the present government. The first coal power plant is presently being built at Norochcholai under Chinese aid. India is to assist for the second power plant which will be located in Trincomalee, sources further said.

The new power plant is to generate 1000 MW of electricity for the country. The government intends to add 4,200 MW to the country’s electricity production by the year 2015.

Wow, 1000MW is quite a lot...

any new progress about upper kothmale power project

any new progress about upper kothmale power project

Nop, but I got this

http://i14.************/869x4i9.jpg
By the way no hazard materials worn by these workers:ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno:

Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Senaviratne formally received the turbines for the Kerawalapitiya Multi Fuel Combined Cycle Power Plant at the Colombo Harbour yesterday.

The turbines had been imported from America at a cost of US $120 million.

The Kerawalapitiya power plant under construction is the only remedy to avert a possible power crisis in 2009 and 2010 until the commissioning of the Norochcholai and Upper Kotmale power projects, a Power and Energy Ministry official said. “We are anticipating a power crisis in 2009 and 2010.

“Kerawalapitiya is the only remedy which is in our hand at the moment. If we could successfully complete the project by the end of 2008 I am sure will be able face it,” Senaviratne said.

The minister stressed the need to expedite work on time to avoid power cuts.

Chief Executive Officer U.D. Jayawardane of Lanka Transformers Ltd., a major shareholder of the project, said a significant feature of the plant was that it could be operated in any three kinds of fuel Diesel, furnace oil or even Liquified Natural Gas (LNG).

“The turbines could be operated by the gases emitted as a result of the combustion of fuel. Then a second turbine could be operated using the steam generated by the heat of such gases as well and this is what is called the combined cycle,” he explained.

The CEO added that 200 MW of power could be generated by gas turbines by July 2008 and another 100 MW generated by steam could be added later by July 2009.

The CEO said the cost of the power could be minimal since it could use cheaper furnace oil which was half expensive as diesel. He said local engineers would play a major role from designing up to the final commissioning of the plant and thus the total project cost too would be minimal.

US$ 120 million out of the total cost of US$326 million would be borne by five state entities who the major share- holders. US$ 206 million would be funded by foreign loans.

West Coast (Pvt) Ltd. a majority Government owned company would operate the plant and at the end of the project period after 25 years it would be handed over to the CEB free of charge.


DN (http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/01/04/news20.asp)

thanks saraprobe, at least some devolopment happening

turbines for Kerawalapitiya power plant
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Fri, 11 January 2008 21:42:42
LBO >> Utilities
Coal Site 2 Comment/s
11 January 2008 11:08:01
Sri Lanka and India to fix coal power plant site this month: minister


Jan 11, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and India will finalize the site for a 500 MegaWatt coal fired joint venture power station this month, energy minister John Seneviratne said.


Sri Lanka's state-owned power utility Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and India's National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is planning to build a 500 MegaWatt coal plant in the Eastern city of Trincomalee.

But the first site chosen, in the Sampur area captured from the Tamil Tigers, was refused by the Indian firm, which is also state-owned.

Now a new site north of the town is being considered.

A joint working team will finalize the site this month, and the detailed site studies will begin in 2008, Seneviratne said.

The joint venture plant is scheduled to be completed by 2013.

Sri Lanka has already started work on a Chinese financed coal plant in Puttalam in the Western coast of the island.

The plant is scheduled to be completed in 2011. Seneviratne says efforts are underway to fast track the plant for completion in 2010.

The CEB is heavily dependent on expensive diesel generators and is losing cash, due to past political interference that delayed coal plants.

Seneviratne says discussions are underway to get additional Treasury subsidies or adjust tariffs.

The utilities finances are under strain as it is used by politicians to buy votes by selling power below cost.

About 25 percent of the householders, mostly in rural Sri Lanka do not have access to electricity.

Seneviratne said an agreement has been sighed with Japan to study the feasibility of natural gas powered generators. Combined-cycle generators (which have coupled gas-turbine and steam stages) could be run on liquid natural gas (LNG).

There have been claims that, if a Japanese combined cycle plant could be built in the Kerawalapitiya area it could be run on LNG.

However energy analysts say the infrastructure to store LNG is expensive and would cost at least 400 million dollars.

The first state of a combined cycle plant in Kerawalapitiya built as an independent power plant is expected to come on stream in July/August 2008.

However, energy sector analysts are keeping their fingers crossed about the first and second quarters of 2008, where there could be power shortages if sufficient rain is not available.



http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?newsID=441042613&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=4

The Gas Turbine plant which will add 200 MW of electricity to the national grid from the Combined Cycle Power plant in Kerawalapitiya will be commissioned in June.

The Combined Cycle Power plant which will generate 300 MW will be fully commissioned next year with the operation of a 100 MW stream turbine plant.

Deputy Director General (Strategy), Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, Harsha Wickramasinghe said with the commissioning of the Gas turbine plant as a short term plan will help to avoid a major power crisis this year to a great extent.

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) can find a solution to a two-year demand growth with the commissioning of the Combined Cycle power plant. With the increase in population and industrial development in the country the demand for electricity has doubled", Wickramasinghe said.

He said ten years ago around 50 per cent of the population obtained electricity from the national grid but today nearly 80 per cent get electricity from the grid.

The commissioning of the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power plant as a medium term plan will also help to solve the shortage of power in the country. The 150 MW hydro power plant will be commissioned in 2010.

The Deputy Director said long term projects such as the Norochcholai and Trincomalee coal power plants are vital to cater to the growing demand for electricity.

The Sustainable Energy Authority has taken steps to phase out incandescent filament lamps which consume more electricity during evening peak hours.

"By phasing out incandescent filament lamps, the country could save a power demand of around 100 MW during the evening peak time. The use of CFL bulbs will be promoted with a label to identify the quality of the bulb.

A minimum performance standard for CFL bulbs will be enforced", he said.

SO (http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2008/01/20/fin07.asp)

Good News...

Jan 25, 2008 (LBO) -- Australia is looking to supply coal to Sri Lanka's power stations and also provide clean coal and natural gas technology that can improve the efficiency of thermal generation, its envoy to Colombo has said.

"The government of course has plans to develop coal fired power generation in Sri Lanka and we are very interested in following that up," Ambassador Greg French said Wednesday addressing a seminar by the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies. "We believe that we have the best product for firing those coal fired power generation stations as they come on line."

Sri Lanka is already building a Chinese funded 300 MegaWatt coal plant on the Western coast of the island and plans are being made to build a joint venture 500MW coal plant with India's National Thermal Power Corporation on the East coast.

French said his country was the world's top exporter of steaming coal for energy generation and coking coal for steel-making. Australia is also building the first carbon dioxide sequestered coal fire power plant which will not emit exhaust gas to the atmosphere, but bury it. "Within a couple of years, Australia will have the worlds first carbon-neutral coal fired power plant," he said. "The energy sector has a very exciting area where we look forward to further cooperation."

Australia was also looking to get involved in liquid natural gas plants (LNG) in Sri Lanka. The country is a major exporter of LNG. "We are also one the world's largest exporters of liquefied natural gas," French said. "In both of those sectors we see significant opportunities in Sri Lanka."

LNG is more expensive than coal but cleaner. It also requires infrastructure like high pressure storage facilities before usage can begin. Sri Lanka recently signed a deal with Japan to conduct a feasibility study to set up LNG infrastructure.

French said Australia also had cogeneration technology which can improve the efficiency of thermal energy generation.

Cogeneration makes use of the waste heat of a plant to produce usable energy. Combine cycle plants which use gas turbine exhaust to drive a steam turbine is also a type of cogeneration technology.

He said larger power stations, and newer third generation plants could give better efficiencies and reduce environmental pollution. Energy analysts say Sri Lanka's existing combined cycle plants could potentially be converted to run on LNG, but the CEB is now pushing for cheaper coal plants and LNG plants are not in the utilities long term generation plan as yet.

French said firms from his country had already invested about 600 million Australian dollars in the island along with a flagship investment in infrastructure. South Asia Gateway Terminals, the country's first private container terminal was a joint venture with Australia's P&O unit and Sri Lanka's John Keells group.

DM (http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=4896)

Nice news...

Energy analysts say Sri Lanka's existing combined cycle plants could potentially be converted to run on LNG, but the CEB is now pushing for cheaper coal plants and LNG plants are not in the utilities long term generation plan as yet.




This is what they should do if they end up building the LNG infrastructure

Colombo, Feb 13 (IANS) India and Sri Lanka Wednesday agreed on a timetable to build a 500 MW coal-fired power plant in Veloor, near Nilaweli, in the eastern Sri Lankan district of Trincomalee.

The power plant, which is to cost $250 million, will be a joint venture between the Indian power utility giant, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

The first of the two 250 MW units will be commissioned by April 2012, and the second in July that year, according to an agreement signed here.

The signatories to the timetable were NTPC Director (Transmission) R.K. Jain and CEB Additional General Manager (Transmission) R.J. Gunawardene.

The ceremony was presided over by the visiting Indian Commerce Minister Jairam Ramesh and Sri Lankan Power Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne.

As per the timetable, a joint venture agreement between NTPC and CEB will be signed in April this year. The same month, the NTPC will be given the contract to do the feasibility report. The power purchase agreement will be inked in August.

The issue of transportation of coal will be settled by December and the award of the main plant contract will be announced in June 2009.

'The project for which a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed in December 2006, is behind schedule by an year. Therefore, India is keen on expediting it,' Ramesh said.

There is still a lingering controversy over the location of the jetty for the imported coal. While Sri Lankan Power Minister Seneviratne said it would be located in Sampur, an area recently captured from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Ramesh said the whole logistics of coal transportation would be gone into by a team.

India and Sri Lanka also agreed to study the possibility of integrating the power grids of the two countries. The southern Indian power grid and the Sri Lankan grid would be integrated and talks for this would take place in New Delhi next week, Ramesh said.

The feasibility of this project would be studied with an outlay of $3 million. The two countries would share the cost 50:50. The study will be completed in six to eight months.

India has offered Sri Lanka its expertise in clean energy as per the Kyoto Protocol.

Ramesh told the Sri Lankan power minister that India had a non-conventional, renewable energy capacity of 5,000 MW and that some of the world's most renowned companies like Suzlon and Veritas were Indian.

India also offered to electrify three villages in Sri Lanka with non-conventional energy as a technology demonstrator and also as a gesture of goodwill.

Talking in more general terms, Ramesh said that he told the Sri Lankan leaders that India believed in laying a strong economic foundation to bilateral relations, and that it was not going to insist on reciprocity in economic matters.

He said that it was in India's interest to do so because if the country did not go some distance to be accommodative unilaterally, Sri Lanka could explore other options.

The Indian minister called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama at the end of his three-day visit to the island.

by Don Asoka Wijewardena

The Norochcholai Coal-power plant will be completed by 2010, one year ahead of schedule as the plant construction has made rapid progress. Power and Energy Minister W.D.J.Seneviratne instructed the engineers of the Chinese CMCE company to expedite the work of the project in order to meet the looming power crisis.

Minister Seneviratne told The Island that the construction of the Norchcholai coal-power plant would be a boon to the country as it would be capable of generating 900 MW to the national grid. Earlier the engineers had expected the project to be completed by 2011,but the construction work of the project had progressed beyond expectations. The engineers were of the view that the entire project could be completed by 2010 instead of 2011 because the technical assistance and manual labour had facilitated the work in progress to a great extent.

He said that most civil engineering works such as construction of subsidiary roads, required bridges and culverts, housing for people losing properties as a result of land acquisition and electricity network were on the verge of completion. The plant when completed would add 900MW of electricity to the national grid which would be able to face any power crisis.

Minister Seneviratne said that a special Navy jetty would also be constructed on the plant site to facilitate the unloading of coal brought by ships. The construction work of the jetty was in progress. It had been planned that the electricity generated by the plant would be brought to the Veyangoda Sub-main electricity distribution centre through several transmissions. The construction of the transmission network was also in progress.

" A special team of engineers to construct the main power plant and to install the main transmission network would arrive in Sri Lanka this week. Around 100 engineers including civil engineers will work at the project so as to complete the project ahead of the expected date," Minister Seneviratne emphasised.

Referring to the generation of electricity by the coal-power plant, Minister Seneviratne said that at the first stage 300 MW would be generated and added to the national grid by the plant in 2010 and the other 600 MW would be generated in 2015. Around US $ 455 million would be spent to complete the project under a Chinese aid package.

http://www.island.lk/2008/03/28/business1.html :)

Tanjong Energy Holdings Sdn bhd, a subsidiary company of Usaha Tegas Group Malaysia is looking at new projects to invest in Sri Lanka.

At present the company has a 29 per cent stake each in ACE Power Horana and ACE Power Matara providing diesel power to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) grid. The remaining shares in these two companies are held by Aitken Spence.

The company, the second largest Independent Power Producer (IPP) in Malaysia owned by Malaysian business tycoon T. Ananda Krishnan is looking at much bigger projects in the power sector to invest in Sri Lanka said its Executive Director /Chief Executive Officer IR Dr. Ong Peng Su.

He said, "we would go on our own or with a local partner in Sri Lanka but it is too early to divulge the details, but we will be visiting Sri Lanka shortly."

The Group has gone regional since 2005 and currently has a total effective installed capacity of 3,951 MW of power and 16 MIGD of desalinated water. The company has three power plants in Malaysia, three in Egypt, one in Abu Dhabi, three in Bangladesh, one in Pakistan and two in Sri Lanka.

At present the total installed capacity of these power plants are 3,951 MW while plans are under way to increase it to 8000 MW by 2012, said Dr. Su. He said that they wish to do more business in Malaysia, Egypt, Vietnam and India too. SG

SO (http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2008/05/18/fin05.asp)

This is an out come of journalist tour to Malaysia who were invited by USHA BHD after SLT take over!!

June 10, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's LOLC group, which has taken over a defunct sugar firm in a public-private partnership, is planning to build an ethanol-based power plant, the company said.
LOLC and Brown & Company inked deal with the government in 2007 to revive Gal Oya Plantations, a defunct state sugar firm that was formerly known as Hingurana Sugar Industries.

The sugar operation is in Sri Lanka's eastern Amparai area.

LOLC deputy chairman Ishara Nanayakkara told shareholders in the annual report that the revived plant will produce sugar and ethanol, which will fire a 6 MegaWatt power plant.

Nanayakkara said about 4,000 farmer families were involved with the project.

LOLC says it has also taken control of Sundaya Lanka, a solar energy firm.

"As proponents of renewable energy sources we will actively propagate the use of solar energy amongst rural communities to assist in farming methodologies and to decrease their dependence on less efficient/more expensive fossil fuel energy sources," Nanayakkara said.

LOLC said it had experience in rural energy financing after it became involved in a World Bank funded off-grid energy project.

Sundaya Lanka is now building a workshop in Sri Lanka's Pannala area, the firm said

July 15, 2008 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's state power utility, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), has given Siemens Energy a 5,309 million rupee (31 million Euro) contract to modernize and expand the medium-voltage distribution network of the capital Colombo.
The contract includes expanding and modernizing a 33/11-kV transformer substation, the delivery, installation and commissioning of several medium-voltage power supply installations, and the renovation of the 11-kV distribution network.

A new load dispatching centre for the capital is also to be constructed complete with control centre, a Siemens statement said.

The German company will also train technical personnel locally and ensure that the power supply is maintained while the network conversion project is implemented.

"With the modernized and expanded network and with sophisticated control centre technology, we will not only be able to offer our commercial and industrial consumers greater reliability and higher quality of the power supply, but better service as well," CEB General Manager D R Pullaperuma was quoted as saying in the statement.

Colombo's power supply system is being modernized and expanded in order to meet the increasingly high standards required for the city's power supply, it said.

This will ensure that the over 600,000 people living in the port city, which covers an area of more than 37 square kilometres on the west coast, will have a reliable supply of energy in the future too.

As part of this network expansion project, Siemens will deliver 390 air-insulated medium-voltage switchgear panels, 40 compact stations, 30 ring main units, 72 low voltage distribution panels and medium- and low-voltage cables.

In addition, Siemens will modify 175 distribution substations in the urban networ

uenGGbHHaXs

Actual progress? Awesome :banana:

Actual progress? Awesome :banana:

Man it looks awesome, gonna be a good one^^^^

Thursday, July 24, 2008, 17:05 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

July 24, Colombo: Sri Lankan Cabinet today approved a proposal submitted by the Minister of Power and Energy W.D.J. Seneviratne for a project to establish a bilateral power exchange between Sri Lanka and India.

The project plans to construct an India-Sri Lanka electricity transmission interconnection por power exchange via Dhanushkody Palk Strait, and Thalaimannar. It will connect the Ceylon electricity Board Power system of Sri Lanka and Southern Region Grid of India.

The project is expected to bring maximum economic benefits to both countries through the exchange of 1000 Mw of power when it is completed.
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Power and Energy Minister W.D.J.Seneviratne lays the foundation stone to construct the jetty in the Norochcholai Coal-Power Plant premises. Chinese and Sri Lankan engineers were also present on the occasion.


The construction of the Naval jetty at the Norochcholai Coal-Power Plant has commenced and it will cost around US 27 million. The Naval jetty will be used to bring coal from offshore to the plant.

The Norochcholai Power Plant will generate 900 MW for the National Grid which will avert a possible major power crisis expected in the near future, the Power and Energy Ministry said.

Power and Energy Minister W.D.J.Senevirate told The Island the length of the bridge would be constructed in the sea way with 209 meters in length and 15 meters in width. The quay was 303 meters.

He said that the coal-power generation plants would mainly depend on coal and a large number of metric tons of coal would be imported. Coal would be shipped and would be brought to shore by barges and unloaded at the jetty. For this process an automated belt would be installed to carry coal to the main power house to be stored in a safe condition.

Minister Seneviratne added that the construction of the main power house would also be accelerated as the storage facility was extremely important for coal storage. He had already instructed the engineers and other officials to expedite the construction work ahead of schedule by 2010 instead of 2011. Other major work involved in necessary civil engineering works, resettlement of displaced families with the payment of due compensation, development of roads and infrastructure facilities and planning of main transmission lines from Kalpitiya to Veyangoda would be completed soon.

He said that around Rs. 12 million was paid to people as compensation who lost houses and properties. Had the then Government constructed the plant in 1990 electricity shortages would have been avoided. The CMEC Company in China and Sri Lankan engineers had been employed to construct the jetty .

Island (http://www.island.lk/2008/09/17/business3.html)

Sunday, October 5, 2008, 5:26 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Oct 05, Colombo: Ante Leco Metering Company (Pvt.) Ltd. which is a joint venture between the government held Lanka Electric Company (LECO) and the Ante Meter Company of China today kicked off the commercial manufacturing of energy meters locally while helping to retain valuable foreign currency.

This new factory which is located in Bandaragama in the Western Province of Sri Lanka is expected to cater to the total energy meter demand of the Ceylon Electricity Board and the LECO through its state-of-the-art factory and the team of local employees.

LECO sources said the initially the production will be around 600 units a month but will be increased by the end of the year.

The company expects to meet the annual local demand of 100,000 meters first and soon to export meters to other South Asian countries.

The high tech factory will also manufacture state-of-the-art meter testing and calibration equipment.

Good venture...but electricity prices won't go down...

Sri Lanka is to construct atomic reactors to generate power, exploiting vast deposits of ‘Thorium’ found along the coastline from Beruwala to Negombo as a solution to the power crisis facing the country, Science and Technology Minister Prof. Tissa Vitarana said today.
DM Updated @ 05/10/2008 09:32 PM
__________________

good but the consequences might be horrendous if something goes wrong!!! we'll all be exposed to radiation within an hour or so...and i hope they got lots of help from the other countries!!!

Yeah lets pray...

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President Mahinda Rajapaksa officially opened the Yugadanavi Combined Cycle Thermal Power Plant today in Kerawalatapitiya, Wattala. Once fully operational the plant is capable of producing 300 Mega-Watts of power.
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

ya there was a grand opening for this...telecast live on pretty much all local channels! good news!

http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_08/mr_120908_04.jpg
http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_08/mr_120908_05.jpg
http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_08/mr_120908_01.jpg

Agreement signing next month

The Cabinet on Wednesday took several crucial decisions pertaining to the clinching of the joint venture between Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India, to build the country’s second coal power plant at Trincomalee, a top government official said.

Power and Energy Ministry Secretary Ferdinands said that all remaining hurdles had been cleared with these decisions, and the deal would be signed by the two parties next month, so that the project could get underway.

Sources said the entire agreement, down to minutest details pertaining to the whole project, had been ironed out. Two special issues relating to the land earmarked for the project and the power purchase guarantee, which required Cabinet approval, however had kept it from being implemented.

Ferdinands said the Cabinet had approved the 1,200 acres of primarily state land secured for the project to be given to the venture on a thirty year lease, with an option for it to be extended if the plant is to be continued thereafter. The Cabinet had also approved a government guarantee to pay for the power produced by the plant in the event its partner CEB was unable to do so.
According to sources the agreements pertaining to the project, which run to between 400 and 500 pages, go into minute details such as: how risks are to be shared and who will have the final say, in case of a dispute, in the 50-50 venture between the CEB and India’s NTPC.

Construction of the 500MW plant in Sampur, Trincomalee is expected to take between three and four years. The country’s first power plant, under construction at Norochcholai, is expected to be completed by 2012. The Norochcholai plant, which is being built with Chinese expertise, is expected to take longer to complete because of the complex infrastructure required, which also included a jetty and other facilities.

It is understood that no residents will be displaced by the project, which is sited inside Trincomalee’s high security zone. The government will pay compensation to owners of privately owned land coming under the high security zone.

For its part in the joint venture, Sri Lanka is securing the land to be used in the project, providing tax concessions under Board of Investment (BoI) terms, building a jetty to unload about 2.5 million tonnes of coal per annum, and building a 220kv line from Trincomalee via Habarana to Veyangoda/Kirindiwela.

The CEB and NTPC will each have an equity stake of US$ 75 million in the project. Balance funds will be raised through borrowings, making a debt-equity ratio of 70:30. The plant, which will be expanded to 1,000MW, will have a 500MW capacity when the first phase is completed, thus increasing CEB’s power capacity by 20%.

The two countries signed an agreement in December 2006 to construct a joint venture coal power plant, after Security Forces wrested Sampur from the LTTE in September that year. Deciding on a site for the plant became a problem when the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) raised political and environmental objections to the project.

As recently as March this year, the CEB was trying to secure a site north of Trincomalee town, at Veloor.
The NTPC had expressed a preference for a site that would be close to the Indian Oil Corporation oil complex there. It is believed that the Indians finally agreed to the Sampur location, when the CEB made it known that it planned to invite bids to build a third coal power plant at Sampur, where the Sri Lanka Government was going ahead with its plans to build a jetty for the second joint venture power project with the Indians.

Nation (http://www.nation.lk/2008/12/28/busi.htm)

A US$ 600 million agreement was signed by the BOI with Lanka Alokha AB (Pvt) Ltd. to set up a 488 MW gas power plant at Kerawalapitiya.

Dhammika Perera, Chairman/ Director General of the BOI and H.M. Nawaratne, Director, Lanka Alokha AB (Pvt) Ltd signed the BOI Certificate of Registrations.

Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion and Minister of Mass Media and Information Anura Priyadharshana Yapa presented the BOI Agreement to the investor.

The Kerawalapitiya power plant is sponsored by Lanka Aloka AB (Pvt) Ltd with ARC Development International, Australia as the foreign investor, which is headed by Paul McMahon as Chairman.

The first stage of the project, which has been approved by the BOI, will bring US$ 600 million in Foreign Direct Investment. The project is for a 1000 MW power generation plant that is described as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as defined in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol. The first stage of the 488 MW power plant is ready to commence construction. The power plant will create 50 new skilled employment opportunities.

The plant will use feedstock Liquefied Natural Gas for the first time in Sri Lanka. Gas is liquefied to ease storage and transport and then regasified before it is actually used. When the process of liquefaction is effected dust, water and heavy carbons are removed.

LNG is extremely environment friendly as it is odourless, colourless, and non-toxic and does not pollute land or water. Lanka Alokha will construct an LNG terminal, a regasification unit and storage facilities.

The Kerawalapitiya power plant is in the High Security Zone. Once it is operational it will become the cheapest power producer among Independent Power Projects (IPPs) in operation under the CEB, offering the lowest price for power. This would be a significant saving for the Ceylon Electricity Board as only the energy charge will be paid and there is no cost for the capacity charge.
ARC (http://www.arcdev.com/australia.htm)
DN (http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/01/23/bus05.asp)

Are there any companies that are focusing on wind and solar power generation in SL?
Any companies that sell solar panels for private residential power generation too?

With love from Japan

Pic. by Sanka Vidanagama

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/090301/images/Dam-in-Thalawakele.jpg

An aerial view of work in progress at the Upper Kotmale hydro-electricity project funded with aid from the Japanese Government. Work on the project is due to be completed by year 2011.

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in fast track^^:banana::banana:

March 12, 2009 (LBO) - An Australian consultancy that won tax concessions to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fired power plant for Sri Lanka's state-run electricity grid has announced it was pulling out of the project.
Energy development and advisory company Arc Developments International said it has been "forced to withdraw" from the project for the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), following "an irretrievable breakdown in relations with the project developer."

Arc has been involved in developing a 500MW combined cycle gas turbine power plant proposed for Kerawalapitiva, north of the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, for the past seven months, the company said in a statement.

Arc director Paul McMahon said it was not possible to attract funds for the project in its current state and that it was breaking off contact with local developer and sponsor Lanka Aloka AB.

Dhammika Perera, chairman of the Board of Investment, the island's investment promotion agency which in January announced the 600 million dollar project, said he was not aware of the reasons for Arc's pull out.

"We announced that we had given approval for the project in principal, subject to the CEB's approval," he said. "The problem may be with the CEB, may be to do with tariff. We had not finalised the whole thing."

Arc director McMahon did not give specific reasons for the pull out in his statement.

"Regrettably, the present project parameters have rendered attracting international investment and borrowings unachievable," McMahon said..

"As a result, Arc has unequivocally withdrawn from the project in its present format, and has absolutely no further connection or association with Lanka Aloka AB or any of the project’s other stakeholders."

Arc’s role has been to lead the project development and to introduce potential equity investors and commercial lenders to the initiative, McMahon said.

"A critical responsibility has been to ensure the project was financially structured in a way which ensured it was attractive both to investors and Sri Lankan stakeholders.

"Regrettably, the present project parameters have rendered attracting international investment and borrowings unachievable," McMahon said.

McMahon said Arc’s decision to sever ties with the development was only reached after extensive negotiations and discussion.

"Arc believes this project has enormous potential, and the current situation is extremely disappointing for the industry and for Sri Lanka,” McMahon said.

"Based on potential viability of the project, Arc would consider supporting the plant in the future if there was a change of ownership and a commitment to develop the project, from the very first principles, on a solid, internationally-recognised commercial basis."

:bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash::bash:CEB monopoly+ bloody unions

Hey well done GoSL and associates...yet another blow...this isn't really related to this thread, but the GoSL is asking for a bailout fund from the WB, but the rupee will be devalued by 20%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Brilliant example of Ajith N. Cabraal's incompetency at the CB...so much for his near "single digit inflation", I guess CoL will boom to unprecendented and economically harmful levels...exporters may be happy, but I think this will only be a short-term boost to competitiveness...the main negative factor seems to be the overly high cost of production, which is spurred up by the same high CoL...rough times ahead and even military triumph will not guide us out of this true and disastrous CRISIS...time for some real, charismatic and wise leadership from our Government and to a lesser extent all parliamentarians...a true test of skill on MR's part...

i think Ajith Cabraal should resign, only a like a week or two before he came on TV and said they don't need an IMF bailout and that they can handle it, even though newspapers were saying that the govt. was heading towards it.....he denied it!!! and now he admits that they need one! does this mean the head of the central bank doesn't know what's going under his own roof??!! INCOMPETENT!!!

Haha, you realised now, if you think this is bizarre, try to dig up the BBC Hardtalk archives and find his interview...omg, he said the recession was GOOD for us and that we would be ISOLATED...great to know what great and HIGHLY educated people are running the most quintessential of institutions in our country, truly fantastic...so much for Shiranthi's share of cronyism in the GoSL and related institutions...

The Ministry of Power and Energy yesterday said the foundation stone will be laid for the first natural gas power plant tomorrow at Kerawalapitiya by the Minister of Power and Energy John Seneviratne.

Ministry sources said that $ 600 million was estimated to complete the Kerawalapitiya power plant and it will provide 488 MW electricity for the national grid.

The investor of the project has assured that the power plant would be completed within 18 months.

At present Sri Lanka was facing severe problems in generating hydro power due to the drought conditions around the country and the government has turned to find alternative power sources

However 10% increase of electricity demand is expected in the country annually and the government has already taken action to build new power plants using profitable sources such as natural gas, coal etc., under the 10 year plan for electricity generation.
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DM (http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=49441)


I wonder who's the investor coz as far as I know Australian investor pulled out:nuts:

Sri Lanka’s first coal power plant under construction

Construction work on Sri Lanka’s first coal power plant is underway in Norochcholai. Journalists were taken to the site yesterday to get a first hand view of the progress of the project. Pic by Pradeep Pathirana


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Sri Lanka’s first coal power plant under construction

Construction work on Sri Lanka’s first coal power plant is underway in Norochcholai. Journalists were taken to the site yesterday to get a first hand view of the progress of the project. Pic by Pradeep Pathirana


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Awesome, we need at least three more to keep up to date with future demand^^^^^^^^

Awesome, we need at least three more to keep up to date with future demand^^^^^^^^

Nuclear? Hopefully someday...

Nuclear? Hopefully someday...

Nuclear produces a lot of electricity, but it is backward and very dangerous...even developed countries have struggled with waste disposal and radiation (eg: chenobyl explosion), so I think this would be a very dangerous development...I would prefer another coal plant and the development of some wind farms or of solar panel networks, but energy is a very complex topic...we have to wait and see how things turn out to be...

Sri Lanka should focus on more renewable energy sources like wind, tidal and solar instead of coal and gas power. Renewable energy resources are expensive to tap into initially.. however in the long run it would be very beneficial as the country then won't need to rely on foreign oil, gas and coal. Not to mention it's also good for the planet.

June 06, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Commercial Bank of Ceylon (CBC) has inked a deal with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to underwrite 50 percent of the investment risk in the volatile renewable energy business, a senior bank official said.

“IFC is sharing the risk in renewable energy projects with us,” said Amitha Gooneratne, managing director of CBC.

“The credit risk is shared 50:50 with IFC.”

Gooneratne said the CBC would be investing 30 million dollars on renewable energy generating plants.

"Most hydro renewable energy options are exhausted; now we have to look at riskier options such as wind power," said Gamini Dharmasiri, deputy general manager, corporate banking of CBC.

"That is why the bank needs more cover," said Dharmasiri.

IFC would receive a commission for sharing the downside risk, said Deva de Silva, head of South Asia enterprise development facility of the IFC.

“In renewable energy projects adverse changes in climatic conditions are risk,” said Naveen Sorriyarachchi, head of corporate finance at CBC.

CBC said it will be constructing a 10 mega watt (MW) and 20 MW plant in the north-western Puttalam district. However, officials were tight lipped on the actual amounts that would be invested on the wind power project.

Sooriyarchchi said CBC is looking at biomass options as well. Biomass energy is created by burning biodegradable waste such as dead trees, wood chips and trash.

The bank has already financed one bio mass project for Tokyo Cement, said Sooriyarachchi.

The bank up to date has invested one billion rupees in mini and micro hydro projects, said Gooneratne.

CBC currently has undertaken 35 mega watts of mini hydro projects, of which 20 mega watts of generation capacity has already been completed.

Per Kjellerhaug, regional manager, IFC said an advisory board consisting experts in the renewable energy sector would be advising CBC on benchmarking and international best practices.

“Renewable energy is not easy,” said Kjellerhaug.

“If successful we want this project to be replicated in other countries.”

IFC is the private investing arm of the World Bank. In fiscal year 2008 it had invested 16.2 billion dollars mostly on the private sector in emerging markets.

“IFC has invested 800 million dollars in renewable energy projects around the world,” said Kjellerhaug.

To date IFC has invested over 170 million dollars in debt, equity and guarantees in Sri Lanka.
LBO (http://www.lbo.lk/fullstory.php?newsID=1787480897&no_view=1&SEARCH_TERM=2)

Ministry rules out LNG power plant under new Act LoI: PPA not possible-CEB

By Santhush Fernando

Although the newly proposed 1,000 Mega Watt Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) power plant at Kerawalapitiya is expected to generate cheap electricity, the project may not take off the ground due to regulatory barriers.
In its latest development, Ministry of Power and Energy has ruled out against the setting up of the LNG power plant as a private venture, stating that such a project would be inconsistent with provisions of the newly enacted Sri Lanka Electricity Act no 20 of 2009, The Bottom Line learns.

LNG Plant not possible under new Act
“The cabinet decision approving the project was based on the earlier Ceylon Electricity Act no 17 of 1969, which had provisions where anyone can set up a power plant without a license. So you could build a merchant plant to provide electricity to serve private purposes as long as you don’t transmit power. To transmit power, one has to apply for a license.” An official of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) told The Bottom Line on grounds of anonymity.
“However under the new Sri Lanka Electricity Act even merchant type plants are not possible without a license. The present Act does not provide for the generation of electricity even for domestic purpose.”
“Furthermore, for a license for a plant with a generation capacity up to 10 MW should be procured through CEB while the CEB has to ensure tender process. If it’s more than 25 MW, the project has to undergo competitive bidding. Moreover the company should be incorporated in Sri Lanka, and the government or a government body has to own 25% of the shares. Since these criteria have not been met CEB is incapable of issuing Letter of Intent (LoI)” he added.
The project is being implemented by Lanka Aloka AB Pvt Ltd along with Australian-based Arc Development International- lead developer of the project.
Founder Director of Arc Development International, Tim Diugnan, in an exclusive interview with The Bottom Line said that the project has an agreement with the Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka and the project has been given cabinet consent.
“The PPA (Power Purchasing Agreement) negotiations have commenced and we hope that we will have an agreed PPA within eight weeks.” Diugnan said.

Arc’s withdrawal and comeback

However earlier in March 2009, Arc Developments International said it has been “forced to withdraw” subsequent to “an irretrievable breakdown in relations with the project developer (Lanka Aloka AB).”
Arc said it was not possible to attract funds for the project as “the present project parameters have rendered attracting international investment and borrowings unachievable” and that it was breaking off contact with Lanka Aloka.
Commenting on its withdrawal and comeback, Diugnan said that at the time his company withdrew they did not believe that the transaction expectations of the local project developer could be financed on the international market.
“Following our withdrawal the local partner (Lanka Aloka AB) reconsidered his position and invited us back in to the project and we were able to structure the transaction in a manner that we now feel can be financed through international investors and banks.”
Asked about the Company’s relationship with CEB, Diugnan said that “CEB is supportive of the project and we are progressing well with them at present.”
Green energy
“A lot has changed in the energy world over the last number of years. Sri Lanka has become reliant on high cost oil fired generation as the hydro generation opportunities have diminished and the climate has changed in a way that is limiting the output from the hydro plants.” He added.
“The Kyoto protocol has created opportunities for cleaner technologies that can displace dirtier generation systems. This is one such case and this project will be developed as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project as Defined in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol. Initial in-country approval of the project as a CDM project (approval of Project Idea Note or “PIN”) has been achieved and the project has been listed with the UNFCCC. We are confident that the project will be registered with the UNFCCC as a CDM project and as such will attract an important revenue stream from the sale of CER’s (Certified Emission Reductions).”

LNG not feasible for Sri Lanka- USAID, JAICA and World Bank

Three separate studies by USAID, 2002, the World Bank, 2004, Japan International Cooperation Agency, 2006 found that LNG was not an economical source for power generation for Sri Lanka, which was confirmed by research conducted by CEB.
Despite this, moves are being made “over the past several months by external agencies to push an LNG terminal and power plants on CEB.”

LNG Plant- Sri Lanka’s largest
The LNG plant which is Sri Lanka’s first Liquefied Natural Gas power plant is also the largest power plant ever to be built in the country. Under phase one a generation capacity of 500 MW will be added to the national grid by 2011 while the remaining 500 MW would be added to the grid by 2012 under phase two.
The US $ 600mn project was a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and would be built in a record time period of 18 months, two months lesser than the time taken by 200MW Lakdhanavi Combined Cycle Power Plant also located at Kerawalapitiya.
Project not viable for funding?
LNG facilities have long construction times with the average construction time for an LNG facility in line with international standards, being approximately four years, though Arc anticipates completing the project in 18 months.
The construction of an LNG plant is said to be expensive costing at least US$ 1.5 bn for every one mmtpa (million metric tons per annum) capacity of the plant with the receiving terminal costing another US $ 1 bn per every 1 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/day) throughput capacity.
LNG facilities are said to be the most expensive of all energy projects. Sea-freight cost is also said to be very high as the average LNG tanker, with its built-in complex technology and safety features, will be more expensive than an oil tanker of similar capacity and age.

LNG- Cheap or costly?
Although Arc Developments International claims that this “will be the cheapest power producer amongst the current IPPs contracted to the CEB and will assist in the economic growth of Sri Lanka providing cost effective electricity to the residential and industrial users across Sri Lanka” many experts believe otherwise.
Veteran energy expert, Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya believes that although the ideal energy source for Sri Lanka, should have been a combination of hydro and coal, high-cost diesel had been promoted due to ‘commercial pressure’ with LNG being the latest such move.
“Opting for LNG means that the Sri Lankan consumer would have to pay more for the electricity they consume. LNG is generally procured on Long Term Contracts, so it’s not easy to get details about its pricing.”
“Today if we had Norrochcholai Coal Power Plant up and running, the cost of coal upto unloading point at Puttlam would be around US $ 90 a ton which is nearly Rs 10 a kilo in today’s prices. Since 2.5 Units can be generated with this, the cost would be only Rs 4 a Unit.”
LNG to cost Rs 10 a Unit?
According to Dr. Siyambalapitiya, five units can be generated by using a litre of diesel costing Rs. 70 a litre, which means that a Unit would be nearly Rs 14. A Unit generated from LNG costs Rs 10, which is still 250% compared with coal power. Hydro power costs Rs five to six a Unit but after 20 years the cost is just Rs 1 a Unit as the operating cost is very low.
Although LNG pollutes less, its relatively high cost of production and the need to store it in expensive cryogenic tanks have prevented its widespread use in commercial applications, energy experts say. It can be used in natural gas vehicles, although it is more common to design vehicles to use compressed natural gas.
Arc Int. confident about funding
“In our opinion, this plant is viable when these revenue streams (Carbon trading) are included and therefore that is the reason that we are pursuing this project.” Diugnan said.

The Bottom Line (http://www.thebottomline.lk/2009/06/10/news17.html)

Sri Lanka private firms too small for mega power plants, IFC willing
June 13, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan private sector firms are too small yet to start mega infrastructure such as coal plants on their own, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) which is financing such plants in the region, said.

The IFC, the private sector finance arm of the World Bank, likes to partner with the Sri Lankan private sector to develop mega infrastructure projects such as coal power, said Per Kjellerhaug, regional manager, IFC.
"But unfortunately IFC can only provide 25 percent of the funds that have to be invested by the private sector," said Kjellerhaug.

In Neighboring India, with a population of 1.1 billion, base load - the minimum power needed around the clock - is provided by coal and nuclear plants.

"We are financing a 4,000 MegaWatt coal power plant in India," said Kjellerhaug.

"We are looking at other coal power projects in India and the South-Asian region."

Sri Lanka's largest privately held bank, Commercial Bank of Ceylon, last week entered into a loan guarantee scheme with the IFC to cover up to 50 percent downside risk on renewable energy projects in Sri Lanka.

"Even our largest banks cannot finance a coal power project in Sri Lanka," said Gamini Dharmasiri, head of corporate banking at Commercial Bank.

He said it might be possible for a consortium of private sector banks to raise the capital but that might make the financial sector vulnerable to investment risks.

"Maybe some of the state banks can raise the necessary capital. But being state banks they can't enter into agreements with the us," said Deva de Silva of the IFC

IFC has partnered with Sri Lanka's JKH to build a container terminal. JKH has since bought out some of the partners.

In 1996 IFC partnered with a consortium of British, Dutch and Japanese companies to build Sri Lankan power plant, Asia Power, which cost 62 million dollars.

IFC said it invested 2.5 million dollars for an 11.4 percent equity stake and provided loans up to 32.5 million dollars in the Asia Power project.

Asia Power's initial power generating capacity was 51MW.

In well managed countries, base electricity base load energy is supplied by mostly coal power or nuclear power as in France.

But Sri Lanka's base load over the last decade has been carried by diesel power plants and sometimes gas turbines, the most expensive power available, which are used for peaking in other countries.

The state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has lost billions of rupees for not moving into coal power and has piled massive debts. The Treasury is subsidizing CEB, socializing the loss over people who do not even have electricity connections.

Hydro - like nuclear power - has a very capital costs, but is cheap to operate.

The CEB is now building a 300MW Chinese coal plant, expandable up to 900MW in Norochcholai in the north-western Puttalam district, about 80 miles north of the capital Colombo.

Norochcholai is estimated to cost 455 million dollars mostly financed by the Exim Bank of China.

source: LBO

Sri Lanka’s Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) is in the process of exploring the possibility of using nuclear energy for future power generation, Chairman and Minister Tissa Vitharana said yesterday.

He said cabinet approval would be sought shortly to initiate a programme for ‘Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Use,’ Minister Vitharana told Daily Mirror.

Professor Vitharane said:
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“Though the initial cost is higher than that of a coal power station, operational and maintenance cost is relatively low compared to coal power plants while carbon emission is zero,” Prof. Vitharana said added.

"If Sri Lanka has taken a policy decision today, Sri Lanka can possess Nuclear Power Systems (NPS) within 10 to 15 years. Though a policy decision has not yet been taken to construct NPS, and an important initiative is to be taken by the AEA to explore the possibility of using nuclear power for power generation. This important move considering that nuclear option has not been included in CEB’s generation plan for the next 15 years.

“Though nuclear power seems to be an immediate option, setting up of a NPP (Nuclear Power Plant) is a complex process which

consumes considerable time. A Nuclear Power Planning study has to be performed. At present, countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia have taken steps to implement NPP projects.

“As public acceptance and awareness on nuclear power is vital for future prospects of using nuclear power in Sri Lanka, Atomic Energy Authority of Sri Lanka has initiated Young Nuclear Scientists' Society (YNSS) with the aim of attracting young generation. Educational Programmes, particularly for school children will be conducted at AEA from July 1 to 3 at the AEA during its 40th Anniversary celebrations.

“Demonizing nuclear power especially after the Chernobyl disaster has over the years created a negative perception of nuclear power. However, compared to coal power which incurs considerable cost of purchasing, storing, transporting and loading and unloading, nuclear energy is emission free. Nuclear technology can be applied in many other areas such as in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in Medicine, Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine and Industry .One of the plus points of nuclear power is that it almost zero emission.

“If a policy decision has been taken to set up a NPP in Sri Lanka, primary consideration should be the selection of site for the plant. AEA is of the view that appropriate site would be set up in an island like Mannar or Delft considering technical factors

"A long term nuclear power programme for Sri Lanka should take into account the availability of thorium resources. Sustenance of NPP will depend on the availability of nuclear fuel.

Nearly 30 per cent of world's thorium resources are reported to be in the South Asian Region (Sri Lanka and India). Thorium resources have not been tapped for power generation. India is planning to use thorium resources for her second generation of NPPs. Sri Lanka's thorium resources are found to be in coastal line from Kalutara to Beruwala and in the Eastern Province.

Ministry of Science and Technology has advised AEA to set up a National Committee on Nuclear Power as an alternative energy option. This committee which will include academics from Moratuwa University, Officials of the CEB and AEA and other experts will be formed soon.In the meantime the Ministry will be submitting Cabinet papers to obtain concurrence of the Cabinet for feasibility studies on Nuclear power option as well as to obtain assistance for exploration of Thorium Resources in the country” said Prof. Tissa Vitarana Minister of Science and Technology. “In the 30 countries that have nuclear power generation capacity, the percentage of electricity coming from nuclear reactors ranges from 78 % in France to just 2 % in China. As of March 2008, there were 439 nuclear power plants around the world, while 35 more are under construction.

“The USA has the most with 104, France is next with 59, then Japan with 55 and Russia has 31 and seven more under construction. The expansion in nuclear power generation is centered in Asia. A total of 20 of the 35 plants under construction are in Asia, while 28 of the last 39 plants connected to the grid are also in Asia. Asia: Expanding Scene But what is the outlook for nuclear power generation in individual countries around the world?

“Our overview starts with the countries of Asia, the world's region where most of the expansion is taking place. India India gets less than 3% of its electricity from nuclear, but it is, along with China and Russia, one of the leaders in current new construction, boasting six of the world's 35 reactors under construction. India's future plans, however, are even more impressive: an eight-fold increase by 2022 to 10% of the electricity supply and an overall 70-fold increase to 2052 to 26%. A 70-fold increase figure certainly sounds remarkable, but it works out to be an average growth rate of 9.5% per year, which is a bit less than the average global nuclear growth from 1970 through 2002. So it is hardly unprecedented. China China, like India, faces a steep growth in energy demand and is trying to expand its generating capacity using all possible energy sources, including nuclear power. China has six reactors under construction and plans nearly a five-fold expansion by 2020.

“However, because the country's energy demand is growing fast, that would still amount to only 4% of electricity generated by then. Looking ahead, China is a potential supplier of technology and services, particularly in Asia.

Japan Moving across the Sea is Japan, a country with 55 reactors, one more under construction and plans to increase nuclear power's share of electricity from 30% in 2006 to over 40% before 2020. Republic of Korea Another Asian country with a significant commitment to nuclear technology is South Korea, which has 20 reactors in operation and three more under construction. Nuclear power already supplies nearly 40% of South Korea's electricity

DM (http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=52584)

I have to say, I'm totally behind this. The anti-nuclear environmentalist nut jobs have attached this huge stigma to nuclear power. People don't realize how safe it really is. For example, 80% of France's power is generated by nuclear power. Anyone heard of a nuclear accident in France?

Time did in interesting article about nuclear power in the US (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1888119,00.html), and this article, for example, is about a new technology of reactors which that are,

..designed to be manufactured in a factory rather than built at a power plant could cut construction times for nuclear power plants almost in half and make them cheaper to build. That, in turn, could make it possible for more utilities to build nuclear power plants, especially those in poor countries.

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/22867/

I do not know Gamarala, I trust a lot in the people of our country, but I do not feel comfortable with the construction and waste disposal part of it...take the southern expressway for example; a bridge has already collapsed and many more seem unstable...if we are unable to properly construct and maintain a simple structure such as this one, how are we going to build a truly secure nuclear power plant, on a par with other established ones in France or other HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES??? How are we going dispose of nuclear waste safely and sustainbably? Even the most developed nations have found no clear and perfect solution for this...currently they bury it deep beneath the Earth's surface or "export" it to Africa or other run down places, or they even store the waste in massive, thick containers...we also have to consider the staggering initial investment...at the moment we struggle to find money for more vital, landmark development projects which tend to be cheaper than nuclear power plants, so from where are the billions of US Dollars for such a project going to come from??? Then we have to explore the human side of nuclear power...it is proven that people in a rather long radius from the nuclear power plants, have developed a far higher rate of Leukaemia and other cancers and major illnesses...is it responsible for us to condemn fellow Sri Lankans to their early demise, simply for us to enjoy uninterrupted and probably less expensive electricity...I think NOT!!! In my opinion more coal power plants and even LPG plants should be developed, in addition to renewable energy systems, like Solar power plants etc. I know that this more expensive and will also be difficult to implement, but atleast this is more responsible and fair, for all of us...

I do not know Gamarala, I trust a lot in the people of our country, but I do not feel comfortable with the construction and waste disposal part of it...take the southern expressway for example; a bridge has already collapsed and many more seem unstable...if we are unable to properly construct and maintain a simple structure such as this one, how are we going to build a truly secure nuclear power plant, on a par with other established ones in France or other HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES??? How are we going dispose of nuclear waste safely and sustainbably?

Road and bridges collapse everywhere in the world. That's not really a problem isolated to Sri Lanka or low income countries. 2 subway trains collided in DC yesterday. That doesn't mean the US is careless about all their infrustructure projectys. Something like a nuclear power plant needs a lot more care than a highway or railway, and if the government does commit to something like that, I'm pretty sure they'll take the necessary precautions. It'll pretty much be mandated by the IAEA.

Even the most developed nations have found no clear and perfect solution for this...currently they bury it deep beneath the Earth's surface or "export" it to Africa or other run down places, or they even store the waste in massive, thick containers..

That's not really true. As far as I know, there are no nuclear waste sites in Africa. Most waste is disposed inside the country that produces it. They're also coming up with new ways to keep waste safe for long periods of time. The US Waste Isolation Pilot Plant can keep waste isolates for 10,000 years. Also, there are plans to create an international nuclear repository in an isolated part of the world.

Even the most developed nationswe also have to consider the staggering initial investment...at the moment we struggle to find money for more vital, landmark development projects which tend to be cheaper than nuclear power plants, so from where are the billions of US Dollars for such a project going to come from???

I guess that's the biggest problem, and the reason the estimated date for commissioning is 15 years away. If they do find the money though, it'll save us tons of money in the long term. Nuclear is one of the cheapest energy sources, which would be good, cos we already have the highest electricity costs in South Asia,

Then we have to explore the human side of nuclear power...it is proven that people in a rather long radius from the nuclear power plants, have developed a far higher rate of Leukaemia and other cancers and major illnesses...is it responsible for us to condemn fellow Sri Lankans to their early demise, simply for us to enjoy uninterrupted and probably less expensive electricity...I think NOT!!!

That's some of the total BS spread about nuclear power. Nuclear plants pose absolutely zero health threat to populations living nearby. Even less than a mile away, there's no harmful radiation from a nuclear plant.

In my opinion more coal power plants and even LPG plants should be developed, in addition to renewable energy systems, like Solar power plants etc. I know that this more expensive and will also be difficult to implement, but atleast this is more responsible and fair, for all of us...

Coal and LPG are dirty, cost heaps more in the long term, and make us way to reliant on gas prices. Sri Lanka isn't ideally suited to Solar either. Apart from the high costs, we don't have enough land to spare for such a project. Overpopulation is already a large concern.

Well, it's pointless to argue and aggressively debate this topic, because opinions vary greatly and the likilihood of this project actually being implemented also seems very low for the foreseeable future. Therefore I think we should just wait and see, as everything else, nuclear power has it's pros and cons, and in my opinion there are more of the latter, in MY opinion...

Agree to disagree. lol I can live with that :)

Haha, cool...

Fri, Jun 26, 2009, 07:06 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

June 26, Colombo: Sri Lanka government has decided to start the construction work on the next two stages of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant in Puttalam of Northwestern Province.

The Cabinet of ministers has approved the proposal for this process, submitted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Finance Minister.

The constructions of the last two stages are set to begin in October, the Power and Energy Ministry announced. The estimated cost for this project is Rs, 89.1 billions.

The government hopes to generate 900 more Mega Watts when the final stages of the coal power plant are completed. The initial stage of the power plant adds 300 MW power to the national grid.

The construction of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant was inaugurated by the President on 11th May 2006.

Good initiative, we really needed to expand and diversify our electricity generation facilities, but I wonder who is financing this phase of the project...China?

India heat wave sparks protests

Protests are growing in Delhi over power cuts as the Indian capital remains in the grip of a heat wave.

...

'Grim'

Most of the residents at the protests are without power for between six to 10 hours a day.

With temperatures in the mid-40s, there is an increasing demand for electricity as everyone tries to cool down.

The system here is unable to cope.

Some people are now sleeping in their air-conditioned cars.

The Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, has described the situation as grim.

This city will host the Commonwealth Games next year and some say the current crisis shows that it is not ready.

The chief minister has dismissed those fears, saying two power plants are being constructed for the games.

This year's delayed monsoon is slowly moving across India. The people of Delhi are praying it gets here soon.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8123012.stm

If we do go the nuclear way, and have extra capacity, there's always the option of exporting power.

Just throwing this out there...

Norochcholai stages II, III to begin
On completion project will provide 900 MW power:

Chaminda Perera

Sri Lanka entered into agreement with the Chinese Government yesterday to commence the second and third phases of the Norochcholai coal power project which is aimed at generating over 600MW.

The Exim Bank of China has provided a loan of US$ 891 million for the second and third phases of the project which will begin in October.

This loan is repayable in 20 years at two percent interest.

Ceylon Electricity Board Chairman E.A.S.K. Edirisinghe and President of the China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation (CMEC) Jia Zhiqiang signed the agreement on behalf of the two Governments in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne and Chinese Ambassador in Sri Lanka Yang Xiuping .

The Chinese Government agreed to provide financial assistance to the country’s biggest ever power generation project on a request by President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his State visit to China in 2006.

The first phase of the project generating over 300MW is expected to be completed by next year. The Chinese company which undertook the construction has decided to complete the construction one year before it was originally planned.

Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne at a press conference held at the Information Department said the first, second and third phases of the project is expected to generate over 50 percent of the country’s power requirement and power sector will see massive development with the completion of this project.

The coal power project will halve the production cost of an electricity unit and this will directly help boost the country’s economy, he said. The Minister said the country’s daily power requirement is 1800MW and this project will add 900MW to the National Power Grid.

He said the diesel power generation plants can be removed after this project is completed by the Government. “The production cost of an electricity unit is Rs. 14.50 but the CEB sells it to the public at Rs. 13.00 incurring a loss of Rs. 1.50 for every unit.

The production cost of an electricity unit can be brought down with the completion of Norochcholai Coal power project. The diesel power generation is very costly when compared with coal power generation.

He said the main objective of the project is to reduce the existing electricity tariff which is the highest in the Asian region.

“Power supply to the Northern and Eastern areas will be expedited with the completion of this project. We find it difficult to provide electricity when there is drought and this situation will change after this project is completed,” the Minister said.

Under Phases II and III of the project, a substation is expected to be constructed at Chilaw and a transmission line will be extended from Puttalam to Anuradhapura. Over 3000 youths in the area will get direct and indirect employment opportunities due to this project.

The Minister said the families who were evacuated from the construction site in Norochcholai have been provided fully equipped houses . “We provided each family two acres of lands.

The infrastructure facilities in the area were developed, he said. Addressing the media CMEC President Jia Zhiqiang said the Government and the CEB has provided all assistance they required to complete Phase I construction one year before it was scheduled to be completed.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/30/news01.asp


Phase II and III of Norochcholai coal power plant:
CEB and CMEC sign agreement

Charumini de Silva

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) signed an agreement yesterday with the China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation (CMEC) for phase II and III of the Norochcholai coal power plant.

The total capacity of the power plant will be 900 MW. Phase II and III of the coal power plant will generate 300 megawatts of electricity in each phase. Phase I is still under construction. The total investment of phase II and III is US$ 891 million. The Norochcholai coal power plant is expected to be completed by 2013, a spokesman for the CEB told Daily News Business.

The contract was awarded to CMEC, a Chinese Government owned company. The 900 MW plant will be constructed under the Puttalam coal power plant at Norochcholai in the Puttalam district. The main objective of the project is to cater to the increasing demand for electricity and also to supply steady and low cost electricity to the national grid. With the completion of the Norochcholai coal plant the Rs.11 per unit will be reduced to Rs.5 per unit.

Due to the rapid growth in several industries and the accelerated efforts in electrification the growth in a particular year may increase.

The demand and supply gap needs to be filled accordingly. The CEB said the growth of electricity demand will increase by 10 percent annually.

The Norochcholai coal power plant is a lead project of the Government to enhance economic growth, poverty reduction and ensure balanced regional development through the cost effective power sector development.

Compared to hydro and thermal power generating sources, coal is the most economical and feasible power supply. As hydro dependability is threatened by drought and silt and thermal is an expensive source, coal is cheaper and more widely available.

The successful completion of the project will enhance the capacity of the national grid in Sri Lanka.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/30/bus01.asp

* The first solar-powered village in Sri Lanka to open tomorrow
Mon, Jun 29, 2009, 06:35 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

June 29, Colombo: The first solar-powered village in Sri Lanka, Galgamuwa village in Monaragala of Uva province is to be opened tomorrow, Ministry of Power and Energy announced.

The first solar-powered village, completed by the Ministry of Power and Energy completed the solar power project with the funds donated by the government of India, will be opened under the patronage of Indian High Commissioner in Colombo, Alok Prasad.

According to the Ministry 800 houses in this project will receive electricity from solar power.

Sri Lanka government has decided to set up more solar-powered projects in rural areas.

http://www.colombopage.com/archive_091/Jun1246280730RA.html

NEW DELHI: India and Sri Lanka
are set to energise their relations. Literally. The two neighbours will soon sign an MoU to study the feasibility
of laying an undersea cable — which will be one-of-its-kind in Asia when completed — to connect their power networks. Sources said the MEA has approved the draft agreement which is to be signed shortly.

An interlink between India and Sri Lanka will also firm up the idea of establishing a South Asian energy grid being discussed by the Saarc grouping. India already has a heavy-duty power link with Bhutan and connecting Bangladesh and Pakistan will not pose much of a technical problem. Final touches are being given to a study on the South Asian grid.

An undersea link will allow both countries to manage peak demand or at times when hydel capacities in their respective areas run low just as it is doing now in India. The link will help Sri Lanka reduce use of expensive fuels and import cheaper power from India's surplus. For India, the link will open up a new market for its projected surplus.

An initial report prepared by the state-owned transmission utility PowerGrid, which will be the implementing agency from India for the subsea link, has pegged the cost at Rs 2,292 crore and said it could be completed within 42 months of getting investment approvals.

The report said the power supply scenario between India and Sri Lanka will allow them to exchange about 500 mw of electricity in the short term.

Once the two sides settle down with this quantity, power flow can be ramped up to 1,000 mw, roughly one-fourth of Delhi's peak consumption, by 2015-16. These are the time frames when the generation capacities in both countries are projected to improve, with surplus in the Indian southern grid.

PowerGrid and Ceylon Electricity Board will be looking at laying a cable under the Gulf of Mannar between Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu and Talaimannar on the left flank of the Mannar islands in Sri Lanka. On the Indian side, the cable will be connected to the southern grid at Madurai through an overhead transmission line. On the Sri Lankan side, the underwater cable will be linked to that country's network at Anuradhapura through an overhead line.

The undersea link will be laid on the seabed just as telecom and Internet cables run across ocean beds around the world. It will have safeguards on both sides against electrocution in case of damage from ship anchors or sharks. An optic-fibre cable will also run alongside the main power cable to keep an eye on the link and also provide extra telecom capacity between the two countries.

At present, India is facing a 16% electricity shortage, with a peak demand of 107,000 mw. The government plans to add 78,500 mw capacity by 2012, with more envisaged in the captive and merchant segments by private investors.

Many other proposals are in the pipeline, which, after taking into account the projected growth in load, suggests that there will be surplus of 6,000 mw during peak hours and 12,300 mw during lean periods.

Times Of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India-Lanka-undersea-power-cable-pact-soon/articleshow/4718266.cms)

Sri Lanka's second wind power plant to commence operations by the end of the year

Sat, Jul 4, 2009, 09:19 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

July 04, Colombo: Sri Lanka government is planning to complete the construction of its second wind power plant in Kalpitiya by the end of this year.

Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority said they expect to generate 10 megawatts of power by this plant after the operations are commenced.

In Sri Lanka the next best natural resource after the hydro power is the wind as there is a good flow of Monsoon winds across the country.

The first wind power plant is already operational in Hambantota District generating about 3 megawatts.

http://www.colombopage.com/archive_091/Jul1246722547RA.html

Coal power plant agreement with India

by Shanika SRIYANANDA

The government, which has concluded discussions with the National Thermal Power Corporation of India, is to sign the agreement for the country's second coal power plant to be set up in Trincomalee soon.

Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne told the `Sunday Observer' that certain issues that propped up against commissioning of coal power stations have been sorted out and the government is trying to harness more energy from coal power and renewable energy to keep pace with the increasing demand for electricity.

The project, a joint venture between Sri Lanka and India, estimated to cost 500 million US $, will generating 1,000Mws.

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2009/07/05/fea20.asp

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Construction of Sri Lanka’s first coal power plant in Norochcholai in progress.

Good work, we need to take urgent measures to prevent widespread power cuts, which would have an immense, negative on the economy...

Sat, Jul 4, 2009, 09:00 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
July 04, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa made a surprise visit to the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant which is currently under construction
http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_09/mr_070409_01.jpg
A government official said that the President inspected the progress of the Coal Power Plant and held talks with the workers and the officials there.

Minister Milinda Moragoda, President's Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and other government officials also participated in the occasion.

Sri Lanka Minister of Power and Energy W. D. J. Seneviratne meanwhile, at the launching of Phase Two and Three of the coal power plant said the cost of electricity would be reduced with the establishment of the Power Plant

The Phase Two of the project is scheduled to be completed by 2012.


http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_09/mr_070409_02.jpg
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2009/07/05/z_new350.jpg
http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_09/mr_070409_03.jpg

One of the few good-looking projects at the moment, I hope that electricity availability, supply and prices will allow become more favourable in our country...

July 24, Kotmale: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today visited the Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project (UKHP) in the central hills of the country on an inspection tour.
http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_09/mr_072409_01.jpg
The President inspected the work in progress and instructed the officials to complete the project on schedule. The project is due to be completed by 2011.
http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_09/mr_072409_04.jpg
The Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project, at a cost of US$ 350 million is mainly funded by the Government of Japan under a loan agreement through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_09/mr_072409_02.jpg
When completed, the project implemented by the Ceylon Electricity Board, is expected to provide 409GWh per year to the national grid with an installed capacity of 150MW.

Ministers,W.J.M. Senevirathne, C.B.Rathnayake, Kehliya Rambukwella and Governor of Central Province Tikiri Kobbakaduwa accompanied the President.
http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_09/mr_072409_03.jpg

Fri, Jul 24, 2009, 07:06 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

^^
Nice pics. Keep the good work up!

nice pics good work

North electrification kick starts next week
CEB to call for tenders on supplier-credit

By Santhush Fernando

The Ceylon Electricity Board will call for tenders by next week on Supplier Credit Basis for the Northern Province Electrification Project under the Uthuru Wasantha (Vadakku Vasantham), which anticipates providing the entire Northern Province with electricity within two years, under a three-phase accelerated project costing Rs. 3,750 million.

“Cabinet approval has been obtained for the expansion of generation capacity in Jaffna, until the transmission cables from Vavuniya to Chunnakkam are restored,” a Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) official told The Nation.
However, to avert power fluctuation caused due to distance in the long-term, a 30MW plant will be built and tenders will be called soon for the construction of it.

The government has also approved a 132KW transmission link from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi costing US$ 39 million with assistance from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to proceed on a fast track basis once de-mining takes place. The transmission link from Kilinochchi to Chunnakkam would cost another Rs 2.25 bn.

Although the earlier plan was to build the transmission link one kilometre away from the new rail track and the A9 Highway, the Government has recently decided to construct it along the rail track and the A9 as the de-mining process will take years to conclude in the area surrounding the roads.

“The Government is contemplating how best the CEB can be mobilised and what role it would play in the reconstruction efforts which would commence next month. Reconstruction Credit Institute of Germany (KfW) has agreed to fund 14.6 mn Euros with the balance of 17 mn Euros sum to be financed by the government. However, Asian Development Bank (ADB) has indicated willingness to finance simultaneously with JICA so hopefully the total project cost of 30 mn Euros will be provided soon,” he added.

The Government’s target is to see complete installation of transmission lines within two years; one year in advance of the earlier three-year period. Furthermore, US$ 45 mn medium and low-voltage expansion programme is also to be implemented to extend the distribution network to presently un-powered households in the north.

At present, 52% of the households in Jaffna have electricity supply while the coverage in Mannar and Vavuniya is 37% and 67%, respectively. However, coverage in the hitherto Tiger-held District of Kilinochchi is 4% while Mullaitivu is a mere 1%. The Ministry of Power and Energy has earmarked 400 villages to be connected on a priority basis, costing Rs 5.2bn.
The projects are to be implemented under the purview of the Presidential Task Force under the chair of Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa.

http://www.nation.lk/2009/07/26/news14.htm

Good, electricity is a crucial priority and a start or foundation for accelerated economic development...

Under Sea Cable Link agreement also finalised

In a dramatic development this week, India has intimated to the Sri Lankan government that it wishes to accelerate the much-delayed 1,000 MW Sampur Coal Power Plant and the under sea power cable link to India.
A highly placed Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) official speaking to The Bottom Line, said that India would accelerate the project in order to proceed with these two strategic power projects, heralding an era for cross-border energy trade in the near future.
“All this time, we could not proceed due to various issues, mainly due to the India’s ‘wait-and-see’ approach during the last lap of the Sri Lankan conflict and also due to Indian General Elections which were concluded last May. After the recently concluded discussion, India has intimated to us that all these issues have been sorted out and expressed strong willingness to proceed with the Sampur Power Plant. Thus the Joint Venture agreement and Letter of Intent (LoI) would be signed this month itself. We will simultaneously proceed with High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) cable link project also,” he said.
However The Bottom Line learns there was a legal issue to be finalized, with the CEB awaiting Attorney General’s opinion on it and once it is resolved both projects would be given green light to go ahead.

TBL (http://www.thebottomline.lk/2009/08/12/news20.html)

Good move...

wary of china ?

The Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka has granted approval to a proposal submitted by a joint private venture to set up two windmill projects in the Puttalam district, Assistant Manager (Media) BOI, Mr. Dudley Perera said. This will be the first ever windmill project in Sri Lanka that will add another 20 megawatts to the national grid after completion. Accordingly two separate windmill projects will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs. 4,255 million (USD 37 million).

The construction work of the project is undertaken by two local firms, Vidathamuni Wind Power (Pvt) Ltd. and Seguvanthi Wind Power (Pvt.) Ltd.

The machinery and other equipment of the wind turbines will be imported from Spain. After completion, the windmill project will consist of 25 turbines for power generation.

The project is designed and developed in compliance with international standards and will be implemented as an eco-friendly project.

DM (http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=58649)

Our prime objective is to provide electricity at a low cost to over four million consumers in the country and accordingly we have decided to construct more coal power plants, in addition to the major coal power plants at Norochcholai and Trincomalee, said CEB, Chairman E.A.S.K. Edirisinghe.

The commissioning of Sri Lanka's first coal power plant at Norochcholai, in the Puttalam District is soothing news to electricity consumers.
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The plant is constructed at a cost of US dollars 455 million

by CMEC a major construction firm of the People's Republic of China, and power distribution will commence from March next year.

During a recent inspection tour, organised by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to the Norochcholai construction site, it was observed that 75 per cent of the first phase of this mega project has now been completed.

Construction work commenced in May, 2006.

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CEB and Chinese officials at a discussion

Phase one will be completed before end of this year and the CEB is expected to generate 300 MW and another 600 MW will also be generated from the second and third phases which will be completed by 2013.

A 900 strong Chinese workforce including engineers, helpers, welders and fitters are working round the clock at the site, while a few Sri Lankan engineers too assist them with consultancy.

The CMEC Project Engineer said the construction of the power house has already been completed and it will be covered with a roof. According to Chinese traditions, the `Roofing Ceremony' will be held on a grand scale on August 20 under the patronage of Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne.

The ceremony will also be attended by a Chinese Buddhist delegation along with Buddhist Monks from Malwatta, Asgiriya, Amarapura and Ramanna Chapters.

In addition, Parliamentarians including Power Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Religious Affairs Minister Pandu Bandaranayake, several Chinese political leaders and diplomatic officials from both countries will also attend the `Roofing Ceremony'.

Planting a Bo-Sapling, brought from Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, Anuradhapura and the installation of a replica of Buddha Statue from the Shaolin Temple in China will also take place to coincide with the ceremony.

At a media briefing in Norochcholai, CEB Chairman E.A.S.K. Edirisinghe said that generating electricity from coal power is very much cheaper than thermal power.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2009/08/16/z_p07-caol2.jpg
Women Chinese workers gearing for ‘roofing ceremony’?^^^^^^^^^^

He said the country annually spends a colossal sum of foreign exchange on diesel and other lubricants for thermal power plants and the CEB has already informed the Power and Energy Ministry on the importance of converting thermal power plants into coal power.

According to the CEB Chairman, Sri Lanka's second coal power plant being constructed at Trincomalee in collaboration with India has the capacity to generate 1000 MW and is now in progress.

The CEB, Chairman also assured that electricity consumers will not experience any black-outs in future, especially with the commissioning of more coal power plants in the country.

Coal for the Norochcholai plant will be imported from three countries under the supervision of Lanka Coal Company (LCC). The LCC will be assisted by the CEB, the Shipping Corporation and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2009/08/16/z_p07-caol3.jpg
Working round the clock

Asked about the series of objections raised by the residents in Norochcholai against the construction of the power plant, the CEB, Chairman said a house to house campaign undertaken to educate the residents on the importance of electricity in the next ten years was very successful and the construction work was finally begun with their blessings.

The affected families received compensation to buy lands and construct new houses with all facilities. In addition, special compensation was also paid for their lost agricultural lands, coconut trees etc.

The CEB also provided them with new roads and bus services.

He also recalled the objections raised by residents in the Upper Kotamale area, but the CEB was able to handle it in a proper manner.

The construction of the Upper Kotmale power plant will be completed next year.

Project Manager (Transmission Lines), R.K. Piyadasa said a new power line with 288 towers will be installed at a cost of US dollars

70 million from Norochcholai power house to the Veyangoda Grid sub station to distribute power to other areas. Project Director (Electrical) P.C.C. Perera said a 14 km road would also be constructed from the work site to Palaviya for the use of residents.

SO (http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2009/08/16/fea10.asp)

Chinese are guns^^^^^^^^^^^^

The government yesterday said that the first phase in the construction of the Norochcholai Coal- Power Project has been completed.. The new power plant is expected add 300 megawatts to the national grid within the first quarter of 2010. The Minister of Power and Energy, Mr. W.D.J. Seneviratne said that the successful completion of the project will be declared ceremonially in accordance with traditional Chinese religious observances on the 20th of this month, with the participation of 50 Chinese Buddhist monks. The occasion will also be graced by the Theros of Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters.

The completion of the work will be officially commemorated with the planting of a Bo sapling in the premises of the Norochcholai Power Plant. A statue of Lord Buddha brought from China will adorn the premises. The government of China will fund the construction of this mega project, estimated at US$ 455 million.

DM (http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=58650)

By Santhush Fernando
The controversy regarding the 1,000 MegaWatt (MW) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) private power project at Kerawalapitiya, has been put to rest with the plant been given clearance from the Attorney General to proceed.

“Although Government approved the project by a Cabinet Paper last year, the Ministry of Power and Energy opined that the project could not proceed with the new Sri Lanka Electricity Act coming into operation in 2009 March and sought the Attorney General’s opinion on it. However with the Attorney General clearing the final obstacle the Project can now proceed. So its just a matter of time, for the CEB to issue a Letter of Intent (LoI) and to enter into a Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) with the plant operators,” a highly placed official of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) told The Nation.

In 2008 December a Memorandum of Cabinet was approved to proceed with the LNG on the basis that it will be a merchant plant and not a committed power plant. As such there would be no commitment on part of the CEB to purchase power generated by it, provided that CEB will purchase power in accordance with tariffs Cabinet Appointed Negotiation Committee and CEB’s own Evaluation Committee.

In January 2009, CEB sought the opinion of the Attorney General on the matter. Although no LoI nor PPA was issued the laying of the foundation stone was took place last May.
Earlier, complication arose with the new Sri Lanka Electricity Act coming into effect this year with such a request requiring the approval of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) and with the project being required to undergo a competitive bidding process, as per the new Act.

“Under the new Act, the government also should be holding shares in such a company, where a generation licence is applied for, from PUCSL. As the new Act came into operation there seems to be a grey area as to whether the request in question needs PUC concurrence or not,” he added.

The LNG plant which is Sri Lanka’s first Liquefied Natural Gas power plant is also the largest power plant ever to be built in the country. Under phase one a generation capacity of 500 MW will be added to the national grid by 2011 while the remaining 500 MW is expected to be added by 2012 under phase two.

The US $ 600m project is a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and would be built in a record period of 18 months, two months lesser than the time taken by 200MW Lakdhanavi Combined Cycle Power Plant, which is also located at Kerawalapitiya.
The construction of an LNG plant is said to be expensive costing at least US$ 1.5 bn for every 1 MMTPA (million metric tons per annum) capacity of the plant with the receiving terminal costing another US $ 1 billion per every 1 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/day) throughput capacity.

LNG facilities are said to be the most expensive of all energy projects. Sea-freight cost is also said to be very high as the average LNG tanker, with its built-in complex technology and safety features, will be more expensive than an oil tanker of similar capacity and age.

Directors of Lanka Aloka AB Pvt Ltd- Former Navy Commander Daya Sandagiri, H M Nawarathne, Rathnasena Katawalage along with Power and Energy Minister John Senevirathne and Minister of Investment Promotion, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, attended the function for the laying of the foundation stone in May.

http://www.nation.lk/2009/08/23/news2.htm

Sri Lanka, India's NTPC to sign $500 mln coal deal

Wed Sep 16, 2009 8:32am EDT

COLOMBO, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka is to sign a commercial agreement with India's National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC.BO) to build a $500 million coal power plant in the former war zone, its Power and Energy Ministry said on Wednesday.

The coal power plant, the largest with a capacity of 1,000 MW, will be located in the eastern port city of Trincomalee, a former rebel stronghold until the military captured it in mid 2007 in the final phase of a 25-year war that ended on May 18.

"We are going to sign the commercial and power-purchasing agreements next week with India's National Thermal Power Corporation," John Seneviratne, Minister of Power and Energy told Reuters.

The project will be carried out in two phases and the first is expected to be completed by 2012, the ministry said in a statement. "Initially both parties will invest $75 million each and later $350 million will be invested by both parties."

Seneviratne did not comment on the terms and conditions of the funding arrangement.

China has also offered an $891 million loan for a 900 MW coal power plant on a 20-year, 2 percent interest rate bearing loan to build the second and third phases of the 900 megawatt coal-fired Norochcholai power plant.

The $40 billion economy with 20 million people depends mainly on hydro and thermal power with around 25 power plants.

The island nation's private sector has repeatedly complained about high price and shortage of energy, for which the government has blamed seasonal droughts and expensive global oil prices.

Much of Sri Lanka's infrastructure, from roads to hospitals, has been neglected by successive governments focused on the two-decade civil war that has killed more than 80,000 people. (Reporting by Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal; editing by James Jukwey)

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSCOL6112920090916

Sri Lanka goes dark in nationwide blackout

(AP) – 12 minutes ago

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — An official says a power blackout plunged all of Sri Lanka into darkness for a few hours Friday because of a technical fault at an electricity distribution center.

A spokesman for the power and energy ministry says the blackout affected almost all parts of the Indian Ocean island nation for few hours early Friday.

Spokesman Harsha Abeykoon says engineers found it was due to a technical fault at the main distribution center and a burnt cable connected to the national grid.

He says power has already been restored in some parts.

Sri Lanka largely depends on hydropower to generate electricity.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iaARstbWx-2unOHpRojJDmHMztUwD9B7D0G80

By Santhush Fernando
Sri Lanka Government officials will discuss with their Indian counterparts at a crucial meeting to be held tomorrow in a bid to finalise the much-protracted deal for the construction of the Sampur Coal Power Plant and the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) undersea cable link to Anuradhapura.

“Treasury and Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) officials will meet with India’s National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) tomorrow, in order to resolve few issues with regards to the terminology of the agreements. The three agreements will be hopefully signed within two weeks time,” a high ranking CEB official told The Nation.
Although Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sampur was entered into in end of 2006, severe opposition from both Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil communities and Indian General Election delayed India from proceeding with it.

The official said that, Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA), Implementation Agreement and Joint Venture Agreement, were ready but there were few unresolved terminology issues.
“Terms and Conditions of all three agreements have been already finalised. Once terminology issues are resolved at tomorrow’s meeting, we will immediately move to signing of the agreements. Then a Joint Venture Company has to be incorporated, with both CEB and NTPC each having 50% of shareholding. CEB has to put in US $ 75mn as CEBs equity, while NTPC will contribute an identical sum,” he added.

Construction of the coal loading jetty is to be executed by the government and it has already allocated funds under the budget to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) for the purpose. CEB will also call for tenders for the construction of transmission cable network.
“Anuradhapura to India HVDC transmission line, which is linked to the Sampur agreements, will also be finalised during this meeting. India wants this to be implemented as soon as possible, since it is interested in purchasing power from Sri Lanka,”

Raising US 350mn for the construction of the power plant, which has to be jointly raised by CEB and NTPC, is yet unresolved due to non-finalisation of joint venture agreement, CEB sources told The Nation. However, funds could be obtained from either Asian Development Bank (ADB) or Indian Line of Credit with the intervention of Indian and Sri Lankan Governments.

The 1,000 MW Sampur Power Plant was expected to commence work as early as 2008 June. Under its first stage, 500MW will be supplied to the national grid by 2012. A total of 700 acres of land in the Sampur High Security Zone (HSZ) has been earmarked for the project and the construction is to be carried out by the NPTC under the supervision of CEB.
http://www.nation.lk/2009/11/08/news6.htm:)

Government awaiting green light from Attorney General

After concluding fruitful negotiations with Indian counterparts, the government is awaiting the green light from the Attorney General to go ahead with the signing of the joint venture agreement between the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the National Thermal Power Corporation of India on the much-delayed Sampur Coal Power Plant along with the undersea power cable link between the two countries.

A highly placed official of the CEB told The Nation, that negotiations held last Tuesday (17) on the construction of the Sampur Coal Power Plant and the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) undersea cable were successful. The meeting chaired by the Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera were successful and they were able to iron out their differences on the ‘language of the agreements’ with India’s National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC), during the meeting.

“The terminology of the Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA), Implementation Agreement and Joint Venture Agreement had been the most contentious issues, and both parties consented to limit themselves to the terms and conditions laid in the original Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sampur entered into way back in 2006,” he said.
Both parties had been unable to come to an understanding, but later had unanimously consented at the behest of the Treasury Secretary, who had recommended that all subsequent agreements had to be in line with the original MoU.

“The government is awaiting the opinion of the Attorney General, and once that is received all three agreements (of the Sampur deal) will be signed with state patronage,” he added.
“The Anuradhapura to India HVDC transmission line, which is inseparably linked to the Sampur deal, too will go ahead in parallel. India wants this to be implemented as soon as possible, since it is interested in purchasing power from Sri Lanka,” he also said.
The 1,000 MW Sampur Power Plant was expected to commence work as early as 2010 June. Under its first stage, 500MW will be supplied to the national grid by 2012. A total of 700 acres of land in the Sampur High Security Zone (HSZ) has been earmarked for the project and the construction is to be carried out by the NPTC under the supervision of the CEB.

Nation (http://www.nation.lk/2009/11/22/news8.htm)

Norochcholai Power Plant

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/4189348005_8d6f20e88b_o.jpg

PIC: Mahinda2010

Sri Lanka's largest wind power project in Puttalam soon

Sri Lanka's largest wind power project is to be commissioned in May this year under the government's initiative of producing 10 % of the country's' electricity from renewable energy sources by 2015.

Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) officials said Seguwantivu Wind Power (Pvt) Ltd and Vidatamunai Wind Power (Pvt) Ltd. are setting up the country's largest wind power project of 20MW on the coast of Puttalam.

Work on the project, is nearing completion with logistics support from Agility Project Logistics, a global leader in project logistics services. This will be the first ever windmill project in Sri Lanka and is estimated cost Rs. 4.2 billion.

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/100117/BusinessTimes/bt39.html

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Feb 25, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa ceremoniously opened the final stage of Kerawalapitiya Combined Cycle Thermal Power Plant today adding another 100 mega watts of power to the national grid.

The first phase of the project added 200 mega watts of power to the national grid. The combined capacity of the facility will now provide 300 mw of electricity to the national grid.

The Kerawalapitiya Power Plant constructed in a suburb of capital Colombo was completed within two years. It was built by a local company at a cost of USD 309 million.

The power generation at the Kerawalapitiya Power Plant is by a combined cycle system fueled by natural gas and costs much less than the average thermal power plants that burn large quantities of oil for power generation.

The project is one of President Rajapaksa's important goals under the Mahinda Chinthana to make the country energy-sufficient in the future.

Electricity demand in Sri Lanka is growing at 8% annually and the Ceylon Electricity Board hopes to meet this demand with the assistance of the Kerawalapitiya Power Plant.

Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne, Fisheries Minster Felix Perera, Senior Advisor to the President Basil Rajapaksa, Minister Sarath Gunarathna, Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy M.M.C. Fernandez also participated in the occasion.

Colombo Page (http://www.colombopage.com/archive_10/Feb1267110395CH.html)

Nice to see a project being completed...hopefully the coal power plant will also be completed on time and then perhaps electricity tariffs/rates can be reduced, because they are a huge burden on companies and homeowners alike...

^^
Hello. Just passing by. I have just found a nice (looks new though) facebook page which i think you might be interested in:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Energy-in-Sri-Lanka/381846394777

Nice to see a project being completed...hopefully the coal power plant will also be completed on time and then perhaps electricity tariffs/rates can be reduced, because they are a huge burden on companies and homeowners alike...

We need to move away from coal. It'll become very expensive over the lifetime of the coal plant.

We need to move away from coal. It'll become very expensive over the lifetime of the coal plant.

what do you suggest? some bullshit like tidal wave power some flower power (ethonol) or solar or wind??? i bet it something along those lines. lmao. u'll never get it ur way. just dont bother.

sri lanka needs and it will get, base load power from nuclear and coal, mainly nuclear. and LNG power plants to take spike loads quickly, until nuclear reactors can adjust their control roads, and coal plant's can adjust their boiler tempatures to take on the increased load if sustained for period of say 10 hours or more. if its just like 20 or 60 minute spike the LNG will just take that extra load.

Solar and wind power are in the future and our government should take a serious policy toward renewable energy. Most countries are now investing in billions of dollars in solar and wind power, and we should do the same here.

Solar and wind power are in the future and our government should take a serious policy toward renewable energy. Most countries are now investing in billions of dollars in solar and wind power, and we should do the same here.

As far as I know Sri Lanka already had some $100 million worth of wind and solar projects under construction!!

As far as I know Sri Lanka already had some $100 million worth of wind and solar projects under construction!!

i remember seeing some solar panels installed in some back country homes way back in the 80's when i was growing up.... i thought by this time they would be on most homes by now. The return on investment is less if not too far in the future for it to be considered a feasible source of power. But we need to develop on alternative fuels like ocean currents, and efficient low cost solar to generate power. And Dollar_man it ain't a bullshit idea, living on fossil fuels and coal is a short term goal, not long term. I agree the technology needs to be improved, that's why we should invest in it.

Glad that we are investing on the future, wish progress would come faster.

i remember seeing some solar panels installed in some back country homes way back in the 80's when i was growing up.... i thought by this time they would be on most homes by now. The return on investment is less if not too far in the future for it to be considered a feasible source of power. But we need to develop on alternative fuels like ocean currents, and efficient low cost solar to generate power. And Dollar_man it ain't a bullshit idea, living on fossil fuels and coal is a short term goal, not long term. I agree the technology needs to be improved, that's why we should invest in it.

Glad that we are investing on the future, wish progress would come faster.

why the hell should we invest in some unproven technology, invest in it to buy once the technology comes out. right now nuclear and fossil fuel is the best option for sri lanka.

Alternative fuels are not "unproven"?! Wind, solar, tidal and hydroelectric power do supply energy you know.

Of course, the economics is such that they are relatively expensive to implement, particularly for Sri Lanka. Offshore wind farms could trap the monsoon winds however, and I've seen some around Hambantota which is a naturally windy area, so that's a good sign.

I've seen a few houses install solar panels on their roofs. This is also a good idea, as it's easy to implement on a grassroots level. It could potentially reduce bills and demand on the electricity grid, and also work out a little cheaper for the users... when there's no solar energy to power your house you have a system which switches on to using the national grid.

And it's well known and documented that fossil fuels are using up a finite resource. It is the easiest method we have to date but when you're left scraping off tar sands (i.e. Athabasca Sands in Canada) the image is that you are scraping the barrel. Plus reliance on highly fluctuating oil prices cause plenty of hardship for cash-strapped economies. Also coal? Coal is disgusting. Have you ever seen the buildings in central China?

why the hell should we invest in some unproven technology, invest in it to buy once the technology comes out. right now nuclear and fossil fuel is the best option for sri lanka.

Nuclear energy is the way to go. Proven technology with known costs.

Alternative fuels are not "unproven"?! Wind, solar, tidal and hydroelectric power do supply energy you know.

Of course, the economics is such that they are relatively expensive to implement, particularly for Sri Lanka. Offshore wind farms could trap the monsoon winds however, and I've seen some around Hambantota which is a naturally windy area, so that's a good sign.

I've seen a few houses install solar panels on their roofs. This is also a good idea, as it's easy to implement on a grassroots level. It could potentially reduce bills and demand on the electricity grid, and also work out a little cheaper for the users... when there's no solar energy to power your house you have a system which switches on to using the national grid.

And it's well known and documented that fossil fuels are using up a finite resource. It is the easiest method we have to date but when you're left scraping off tar sands (i.e. Athabasca Sands in Canada) the image is that you are scraping the barrel. Plus reliance on highly fluctuating oil prices cause plenty of hardship for cash-strapped economies. Also coal? Coal is disgusting. Have you ever seen the buildings in central China?

firstly do you understand that the sri lankan economy nemerious times bigger than the biggest indian cities. do you realiase that the sri lankan economy is over 5 fold (times) bigger than the new dehli economy???

you realise the sri lankan economy is set to take on 10% + GDP growth rates in the new future. the economy already doubled last year growth rate of 3% up to 6% 4th Quarter. we your talking about providing energy for such an economy u connnot wait till some monsoon rains come along to give power, the power requirement needs to be met right there and now. some norrow minded idiots think of reducing few petrol or elecricty bills, r u serious??? you want to scarifice huge growth rates for a few cents of ur bill??? u want to steel factories to shut down untill monsoon winds come along??

energy demand in this country is growing at an unending rate, the consumer energy need must be met, with cheap coal and nuclear base load power. coal can be converted to elecricty at about 2-4 Rs per Unit(Kw-H)

u do not understand anything, u connot sit there in ur fantasy world and imiagine ur perfect renewable energy cycle, like "ooo lets harness the wind power and tidal power, them store them in battries when the wind turns off, then we can use the battries untill power comes back" LMFAO

if ur gonna do something as crazy as that, u might as do this, use solar/ wind power to break apart water into hydrogen and oxygen, then use store the hydrogen as fuel, that can be easily transported. and burnt in normal cumbustion engines or fuel cell engines.

why are you worry about how long oil is going to last?? that is far beyond ur head, ur not in a position to discuss such matters. oil is $79 a barrel, and thats as much u need to know. do all ur cost calcuation on price, and chart anyalisis of the price working out resistence and support points, so u can keep profitable. the lankan economy as a whole can make $3,424 US dollars from every barrel of oil consumed, when oil is currently at $79 a barrel!!! i dont see it going anywhere too soon, all i see is more and more oil being consumed.

just for your information, the current proven oil reseves is 1.2 trillion barrels, thats enough for 20 years of consumption alone. thats just prven reseves, most feilds go far beyond proven reseves. over the past century years the world has been consuming about a trillion or so barrels every 20-25 years.

^^
I fully agree that the short to medium term energy future lies in fossil oil, whether one likes it or not.

But the long term solution is to develop nuclear energy, especially now that the war is over. However, acquiring the knowhow as well as putting in place agreements to procure nuclear fuel etc takes a very long time, not to mention the time taken for actual construction and commissioning of a nuclear plant. Therefore, we need to start now, if we are to ensure country's energy security.

Just like the colossally wasteful Toyota Prius, all these alternative technologies such as wind power, solar power, cow crap power etc are unwanted distractions that divert resources from being invested in R&D of Hydrogen based technologies; which is the real McCoy for future automobile propulsion.

Even today, vast majority of hybrid cars are not designed or built the optimum way, which is, 4 smaller electric motors housed in the wheel bay driven by electric power from battery or diesel generator (until this power source is replaced by a Hydrogen cell). The wheel motors will also act as breaks (by reversing the polarity or some other means) and in the process will generate extra electricity (similar to KERS systems used in 2009 Formula 1 cars of some teams).

Think about a car that has no engine, gear box, differential, break system etc. The savings are enormous.

^^
I fully agree that the short to medium term energy future lies in fossil oil, whether one likes it or not.

But the long term solution is to develop nuclear energy, especially now that the war is over. However, acquiring the knowhow as well as putting in place agreements to procure nuclear fuel etc takes a very long time, not to mention the time taken for actual construction and commissioning of a nuclear plant. Therefore, we need to start now, if we are to ensure country's energy security.

Just like the colossally wasteful Toyota Prius, all these alternative technologies such as wind power, solar power, cow crap power etc are unwanted distractions that divert resources from being invested in R&D of Hydrogen based technologies; which is the real McCoy for future automobile propulsion.

Even today, vast majority of hybrid cars are not designed or built the optimum way, which is, 4 smaller electric motors housed in the wheel bay driven by electric power from battery or diesel generator (until this power source is replaced by a Hydrogen cell). The wheel motors will also act as breaks (by reversing the polarity or some other means) and in the process will generate extra electricity (similar to KERS systems used in 2009 Formula 1 cars of some teams).

Think about a car that has no engine, gear box, differential, break system etc. The savings are enormous.

Yes, i tottaly the long term future is differntly Hydrogen, meaning "hydrogen as the transport fuel" hydrogen it self is not an energy source. the perfect energy cycle would be, nuclear fussion which does not generate any nuclear waste, and useing the elecrucity from the plant to power thru the grid, and power cars by converting water into hydrogen, and useing fuel cell technology. all thse technologes exist right now, its just a matter of R&D to bring the cost downs until it becomes profitable.
i totatly agree, quick fixes like, solar, wind, tidal bullshit are all diviting presoures resouces which we could haved otherwise used to in infrastructure develpment to get better and stronger growth rates.

develped countries should be investing in this technology right now, sri lanka as a develping country should not be concerned about this right now, maybe in 30 years when we'r a very high income nation. sri lanka number one goal right now is to double the productivity of our economy, and keep increasing our per captia income through means of investing in industry, infrastructure, and possiable a also space programme.

would'n that $100 million be better spent on a space programm? instead of makeing a bit of elecricity a coal power plant could have done for less than a million dollars??? make a one off investment of about a decent 2 or 3 billion in a 4000-5000 megawatt coal power plant, and we dont need to worry about energy needs for along time.

^^
Yes, the ideal scenario would be:
- nuclear fusion for electricity generation
- amongst other things that electricity is used to separate H2
- use such seperated H2 in fuel cells to run vehicles.

Totally carbon free and zero environment foot print (as long as nuclear waste is recycled properly).

What the eco-mentalists do not understand is that batteries in their hybrid cars are charged with electricity produced by burning coal!

why the hell should we invest in some unproven technology, invest in it to buy once the technology comes out. right now nuclear and fossil fuel is the best option for sri lanka.

First off it ain't unproven, just because it is used in a small scale does not make it so. Both nuclear and fossil fuels are not available in SL locally, we have to buy it, no matter what the ROI is on them are they are great for short term, but not for long term. A middle east crisis and we will have huge issues on oil dependent industries. SL has been buying everything... why not invest and make our own wind turbines and solar cells ? That's investing in our future, that is free clean energy that we can tap into without the help of any country. When the rest of the world is innovating more and more alternative fuel technologies, we have to compete too. I'm not saying make everything wind or solar or nuclear, we need to diversify and be less dependent on others.

firstly do you understand that the sri lankan economy nemerious times bigger than the biggest indian cities. do you realiase that the sri lankan economy is over 5 fold (times) bigger than the new dehli economy???

you realise the sri lankan economy is set to take on 10% + GDP growth rates in the new future. the economy already doubled last year growth rate of 3% up to 6% 4th Quarter. we your talking about providing energy for such an economy u connnot wait till some monsoon rains come along to give power, the power requirement needs to be met right there and now. some norrow minded idiots think of reducing few petrol or elecricty bills, r u serious??? you want to scarifice huge growth rates for a few cents of ur bill??? u want to steel factories to shut down untill monsoon winds come along??

energy demand in this country is growing at an unending rate, the consumer energy need must be met, with cheap coal and nuclear base load power. coal can be converted to elecricty at about 2-4 Rs per Unit(Kw-H)

u do not understand anything, u connot sit there in ur fantasy world and imiagine ur perfect renewable energy cycle, like "ooo lets harness the wind power and tidal power, them store them in battries when the wind turns off, then we can use the battries untill power comes back" LMFAO

if ur gonna do something as crazy as that, u might as do this, use solar/ wind power to break apart water into hydrogen and oxygen, then use store the hydrogen as fuel, that can be easily transported. and burnt in normal cumbustion engines or fuel cell engines.

why are you worry about how long oil is going to last?? that is far beyond ur head, ur not in a position to discuss such matters. oil is $79 a barrel, and thats as much u need to know. do all ur cost calcuation on price, and chart anyalisis of the price working out resistence and support points, so u can keep profitable. the lankan economy as a whole can make $3,424 US dollars from every barrel of oil consumed, when oil is currently at $79 a barrel!!! i dont see it going anywhere too soon, all i see is more and more oil being consumed.

just for your information, the current proven oil reseves is 1.2 trillion barrels, thats enough for 20 years of consumption alone. thats just prven reseves, most feilds go far beyond proven reseves. over the past century years the world has been consuming about a trillion or so barrels every 20-25 years.

Why compare SL economy to New Delhi ? If anything compare it Colombo alone. The Indian economy grew at rate greater than 6% while China grew close to 9%. Both these economies are investing heavy in alternative fuels and space technology to try and even use the heluim3 on the moon. Not to say that they are not building coal and nuclear plants at the same time, but are also looking at alternatives for the long term. If we are to just suck our thumbs and "buy" when such economies invent on an alternative fuel tech, we will stand to loose much more.

Oil won't be @ $79 a barrel till all the oil runs out, rem it went to over $100 not too long ago, and it will only go one way... and that is up. Oil has become more and more volatile and other than short term it's a very inefficient fuel. I can't say much about coal, am not sure if we have huge coal deposits or how good or bad it is overall. Nuclear is great, but there are so much sanctions if were to buy the tech from other's, then we have to find a storage for the spent fuel rods... we need to invest here a lot, if we are to go for nuclear fuel technology.

No one here is i'm sure saying, drop coal, nuclear and oil, and switch to the alternative clean fuel... bam problem solved. The transition is a must, technology will move ahead weather u like it or not.

Why compare SL economy to New Delhi ? If anything compare it Colombo alone. The Indian economy grew at rate greater than 6% while China grew close to 9%. Both these economies are investing heavy in alternative fuels and space technology to try and even use the heluim3 on the moon. Not to say that they are not building coal and nuclear plants at the same time, but are also looking at alternatives for the long term. If we are to just suck our thumbs and "buy" when such economies invent on an alternative fuel tech, we will stand to loose much more.

Oil won't be @ $79 a barrel till all the oil runs out, rem it went to over $100 not too long ago, and it will only go one way... and that is up. Oil has become more and more volatile and other than short term it's a very inefficient fuel. I can't say much about coal, am not sure if we have huge coal deposits or how good or bad it is overall. Nuclear is great, but there are so much sanctions if were to buy the tech from other's, then we have to find a storage for the spent fuel rods... we need to invest here a lot, if we are to go for nuclear fuel technology.

No one here is i'm sure saying, drop coal, nuclear and oil, and switch to the alternative clean fuel... bam problem solved. The transition is a must, technology will move ahead weather u like it or not.

compare colombo to new dehli, and sri lanka to new dehli is the same thing. more than 90% of sri lanka GDP out put is from the colombo CBD.

helium3? china and india arn'nt seriously considering helium3. its the americans if anything that is going to come up with a new sustanable energy supply. so what if sri lanka does'nt have coal? india has coal we can buy from them. and the price for us would be 2-4 Rs per unit.
for nuclear, we could sign and agreement with the americans for transfer of technology, if the rajapaksa adminstration is serious on going nuclear,also to keep an open and transpernt programme, and ensuring that technology and nuclear material is kept safe and out of terriost hands.

compare colombo to new dehli, and sri lanka to new dehli is the same thing. more than 90% of sri lanka GDP out put is from the colombo CBD.

helium3? china and india arn'nt seriously considering helium3. its the americans if anything that is going to come up with a new sustanable energy supply. so what if sri lanka does'nt have coal? india has coal we can buy from them. and the price for us would be 2-4 Rs per unit.
for nuclear, we could sign and agreement with the americans for transfer of technology, if the rajapaksa adminstration is serious on going nuclear,also to keep an open and transpernt programme, and ensuring that technology and nuclear material is kept safe and out of terriost hands.

it's not he same thing to compare New Delhi to Sri Lanka. Mumbai is the financial capitol, just as Colombo is Sri Lanka's. I'm not sure where you get 90% of SL GDP are goods and services from Colombo ???? Sri Lanka's main industries are tea, apparel, tourism etc .... and all of this is mainly out side the city.

Yes, India and China are serious about it (Helium3). In case you haven't noticed there is a silent space race between India and China. With the Obama administration pulling the plug on the Constellation program, I'm not sure what the future is for NASA. Relying on only fossil fuels won't get us far. Remember we have a lot of bright minds and about 200 of them working for NASA (google it, i read this a while back)

Coal is ok for the short term, but i hate the idea that we have to buy our energy from others, even if it is dirt cheap and from a friendly neighbor (wind/solar/ocean waves/hydro -- we have in abundance). If for any reason our relationship gets sour, our coal plants will be just power plants without the coal. The same analogy applies for nuclear fuel technology. Don't get me wrong, i'm all for it, but we need to diversify try and be independent as much as possible when it comes to energy. The next great war will be fought for the little resources that there is, and if we aren't prepared we will be screwed. And believe me, no one will JUST transfer nuclear technology, not even India for that matter. They will take advantage of our situation, there will be tons of clauses tied to it that will not be in our favor, we need to tread this path cautiously.

it's not he same thing to compare New Delhi to Sri Lanka. Mumbai is the financial capitol, just as Colombo is Sri Lanka's. I'm not sure where you get 90% of SL GDP are goods and services from Colombo ???? Sri Lanka's main industries are tea, apparel, tourism etc .... and all of this is mainly out side the city.

Yes, India and China are serious about it (Helium3). In case you haven't noticed there is a silent space race between India and China. With the Obama administration pulling the plug on the Constellation program, I'm not sure what the future is for NASA. Relying on only fossil fuels won't get us far. Remember we have a lot of bright minds and about 200 of them working for NASA (google it, i read this a while back)

Coal is ok for the short term, but i hate the idea that we have to buy our energy from others, even if it is dirt cheap and from a friendly neighbor (wind/solar/ocean waves/hydro -- we have in abundance). If for any reason our relationship gets sour, our coal plants will be just power plants without the coal. The same analogy applies for nuclear fuel technology. Don't get me wrong, i'm all for it, but we need to diversify try and be independent as much as possible when it comes to energy. The next great war will be fought for the little resources that there is, and if we aren't prepared we will be screwed. And believe me, no one will JUST transfer nuclear technology, not even India for that matter. They will take advantage of our situation, there will be tons of clauses tied to it that will not be in our favor, we need to tread this path cautiously.

services is the biggest contributing to our GDP. and i'm pretty sure india's bigger issues than to go after hellium 3 resources on moon LOL like feed their population, prevent thier economy on spirlling in on them. they have to try and stay afloat first. yes extactly, no will transfer technology for free, what they get in exchange is an open free transperant programme and garentees the nuclear technology and material is kept safe. so they dont end up with a situation like iran, where its a closed programme. and nobody knows whats going on there.

Obtaining access to civilian nuclear technology is not as hard as one thinks. Case in point: UAE

Obtaining access to civilian nuclear technology is not as hard as one thinks. Case in point: UAE

then start all out nuclear programme, for the develpment of nuclear weopens. and implementation of nuclear technology for military purposes such as ships and subs. if anyone protest then, them we'll exchange our programme for corperation in the nuclear field. they will diffently want a partner rather than an enermy. espically a partner that is willing to corporate.

if not just countine the nuclear reserch, and we should be up to scratch within 20-25 years. it would have cost as alot more, but in the long run, as the future of the nation in infinite over millions of years starting a programme now and waiting 25 years for results is no big deal.

^^
It looks like you misunderstood my post.

I said it is relatively easy to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful civilan purposes.

services is the biggest contributing to our GDP. and i'm pretty sure india's bigger issues than to go after hellium 3 resources on moon LOL like feed their population, prevent thier economy on spirlling in on them. they have to try and stay afloat first. yes extactly, no will transfer technology for free, what they get in exchange is an open free transperant programme and garentees the nuclear technology and material is kept safe. so they dont end up with a situation like iran, where its a closed programme. and nobody knows whats going on there.

India is not trying to stay afloat, they are more self sufficient than China (IMHO), and that is another topic to discuss another time. Ironic, that you accuse India of not feeding (or struggling if u will) it's own people, and yet India is selling it's rice to us, be it a shortage or not. And India and China is not going after Helium3 alone, they are "considering it seriously", what that means is, they have their options open for alternative fuels, and don't intend to be left in the dirt when others go after it.OK, time for me to stop here and you should do some reading on the subject.

India is not trying to stay afloat, they are more self sufficient than China (IMHO), and that is another topic to discuss another time. Ironic, that you accuse India of not feeding (or struggling if u will) it's own people, and yet India is selling it's rice to us, be it a shortage or not. And India and China is not going after Helium3 alone, they are "considering it seriously", what that means is, they have their options open for alternative fuels, and don't intend to be left in the dirt when others go after it.OK, time for me to stop here and you should do some reading on the subject.

its not just us thier selling rice to, their selling to the whole world. extactly my point india is too poor to after these huge develpments like. establishing bases on the moon and minning for helium, its just too poor. it connot happen even if it allocated all its money to do so, so there's not really a point in keeping the option open. it is an option not achieveable to india or sri lanka, we need wait till big advanced nation like america go after the stuff and start producing power, then we could buy it from them. and we'll have alot more money by that time. india is selling thier rice because they got no option but to get some extra money, helium 3 extration from mining the moon LMFAO. yeah right buddy.

its not just us thier selling rice to, their selling to the whole world. extactly my point india is too poor to after these huge develpments like. establishing bases on the moon and minning for helium, its just too poor. it connot happen even if it allocated all its money to do so, so there's not really a point in keeping the option open. it is an option not achieveable to india or sri lanka, we need wait till big advanced nation like america go after the stuff and start producing power, then we could buy it from them. and we'll have alot more money by that time. india is selling thier rice because they got no option but to get some extra money, helium 3 extration from mining the moon LMFAO. yeah right buddy.

^^
I dont think America would do it for a while due to the Global Financial Crisis which they are just starting to recover from. Anyway I think that whilst some money should be invested to develop renewables, the world will see a shift from coal to nuclear as the main source of energy in the future once coal becomes rarer. The cost of renewables are too expensive per unit for developing countries.

Also dollar man, whilst I think you have some valid points you should learn to tolerate other peoples arguments, not laugh and disrespect them! (case in point where you said "LMFAO. yeah right buddy" above)

^^
.... the world will see a shift from coal to nuclear as the main source of energy in the future once coal becomes rarer. The cost of renewables are too expensive per unit for developing countries.



I fully agree.

That is exactly why I suggested that a country like SL should spend the little money available to them in a 'bang for buck' fashion. Not on some unproven / uncertain technology which may or may not work or work only seasonally.

It's about time people stop buying in to the biggest scam of the 21st century called "global warming".

It's about time people stop buying in to the biggest scam of the 21st century called "global warming".

That is queit true, Co2 levels in the atmosphere are a nutural cycle of the earth, and the earth for past millions of years have dealt with it, without human interference.

and there is no way humans could cuase and unprecedent increase in Co2 concentration in the Earth!!!!!
Earth is a freeken massive place, its huge, we are very small compared to it. even tho we have been to the moon, that does'nt mean we'r any comparision to the size of the earth.

The only resean we should switched to renewables is extactly that fact that it is renewable. if the reason is becuase its clean or does'nt release co2 it would be biggest misstake in allocation of resouces. i'm not saying that sri lanka should. but the develped nations.

that $100 million US dollars, in renewable projects around the nation is the biggest waste of money. u could have built houses for homeless in colombo or something, would be much better use of that money. even tho i'm totatly against givin money to the poor and homeless, i beleive in making infrastrucutre investments so they poor can make thier own money instead of being dependent on aid.

Thu, Mar 18, 2010, 07:56 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_10/mr_031810_05.jpg
Mar 18, Norochcholai: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa this morning inaugurated the second phase of the of the Norochcholai coal power plant with the participation of the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ms. Yang Xiuping.

The power plant, constructed in Norochcholai, a coastal fishing village 120 km north from Colombo along the wet coast, will have an ultimate capacity of 900 megawatts of electricity when it is completely developed.

The first stage generates 300 megawatts to the national grid while the second phase will generate 600 megawatts. Cost for the second phase is estimated at US$ 891 million. The first phase of Norochcholai Coal Power Plant was inaugurated by President Rajapaksa on 11th May 2006.

The construction of the third stage is to begin in 2012 and is to be completed in 2013. It is expected to deliver a steady and low cost energy output of 1658 giga watt hours annually to the consumers when completed. The construction of the three phases of the project is to cost US$ 1.35 billion, Ministry of Energy sources say.

Speaking to the media at the occasion, Minister of Power and Energy W. D. J. Senaviratne said the government aims to provide electricity to all by the year 2012.

Currently the government meets only 82 percent of the country's total energy requirement.

The Minister said the Norochcholai power plant will provide a sustainable solution to the country's ever increasing energy needs and the charges for generating power will certainly decrease with this project.

Financial aid for the project is provided by the Exim Bank of China. The construction is carried out by the China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation (CMEC). The Chinese have agreed to carryout the project on a Design, Build and Transfer (DBT) basis.

Ministers Milroy Peiris and Niyomal Perera, and the Vice President of CMEC Hang Gang also participated in the occasion.
http://www.colombopage.com/imgs_10/mr_031810_06.jpg

Sri Lanka's first commercial wind energy plant to start

19 Mar, 2010 05:53:39

By Ruwanthika Jayasinghe

Mar 18, 2010 (LBO) - Senok Wind Power, Sri Lanka's first commercial wind energy plant, will start operating this month in Puttalam in the island's north western coast using a 10 MegaWatt plant, officials said.

"This pioneering effort set from Senok has set the pace for attracting private sector investment for further development of wind power in Sri Lanka," says H. De Costa, project director of Senok Wind Power told reporters

"Senok expects to complete the project and start transmitting electricity to the national grid within the next few weeks."

The plant is located on a five kilometre long strip of land that is a kilometre wide in the Mampuri areas of Kalpitya in the Puttalam district.

The company has installed eight wind turbine generators bought from India's Suzlon Energy Ltd.

Senok Power says the site could accommodate another two rows of wind turbines to with a total capacity of 30 MegaWatts.

Officials say the firm will get 18.66 rupees plus 2.14 rupees from the first to the eight year of a standardized power purchase agreement (SPPA) under which it will sell power to the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board.

This will generate higher cashflow for the firm to pay off loans in the first few years.

From year 8 to 15 it will get 7.05 rupees and from year 16 the firm will get one rupee and 30 cents officials said. The agreement runs for 20 years.

Officials say the plant is estimated to generate 28 million kiloWatt hours of energy a year. This gives the wind farm a plant factor of slightly over 31 percent.

State-run CEB has had a 3 MegaWatt wind farm in the Southern Hambantota district which had a plant factor of less than 15 percent.

Senok says the site gets wind from an Asian monsoon system that blows in a north easterly direction from December to February and much stronger winds in a south westerly direction from May to September.

The mean annual wind speed is about 7.0 to 7.5 metres per second at 50 metres above ground level. The power plants are located 80 metres above ground.

The wind farm uses eight model S64 -1250 Suzlon constant speed wind turbine generators which can produce 1,250 kiloWatts of power driven by a three-bladed epoxy bonded fibreglass rotor with a diameter of 64 metres.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1223352553

http://www.lakbimanews.lk/img/f-22-2.jpg

very good project....cheap energy....we need more projects like this

waste of presious forigen exchange, espically to india. on some bullshit wind turbine. we could have imported 20 luxury lamborginies from europe, and put them on display outside the airport to high end investors. just simply hire people drive around colombo with them so the city looks rich. :nuts::nuts::nuts::nuts:

this projects just piss me off.

WN-MhVis1Jk

CEB uses first automated distribution system
http://www.news.lk//images/stories/Multimedia_Gallery/Photo_Gallery/electricity_distribution-2010-03-29.jpg

The first automated electricity distribution system has been initiated in the Wayamba Province. Under this system, breakdowns are recognized at the main office and repairs are carried out using a remote control device.

The system is implemented during 24 hours and the CEB said that it will be implemented in other areas of the country depending on thesuccess of this programme.http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14469&Itemid=44

lack gold from waste


By Lakna Paranamanna and Rohan Kumara - Kegalle

Polypto Lanka - the world’s first plant in which petrol is generated from polythene and plastic waste - was launched yesterday at Yatiyantota.

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) in collaboration with Ananda Withanage, the inventor of the novel concept, and several lecturers from the Chemical and Process Engineering Department of the University of Moratuwa (UoM) had embarked on this venture in 2009.

The launch of Polypto Lanka was held yesterday headed by Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka. The newly produced fuel was pumped into fuel tanks of three-wheelers and motor cycles at the event, for the first time.

Minister Ranawaka who spoke at the event pointed out that this was a golden opportunity where extensive profits could be earned from waste that would otherwise contribute to adverse effects on the eco- system of the country.

“This venture will be a massive boost to achieving the goals of the Pilisaru project as well,” he added.

“The CEA, the UoM and Mr. Withanage entered a tri-party agreement on February 19, 2009. The project was initially planned to conclude within nine months. The project was, however, completed in 12 months,” said national post consumer plastic waste management project CEO/ Project Director Roshan Gunawardena.

The plant which is still in the secondary stage, processes non-biodegradable matter such as mixed plastics, except for PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and directly produces three most valuable forms of crude oil - petrol, diesel and kerosene. It has the capacity to process waste plastics from a minimum of 500 kilos up to a maximum of 1000 kilos daily.

“We have currently estimated that the output can range around 0.75 to 1 litre of petrol from one kilo of waste plastics. Therefore the daily generation of Polypto petrol can vary from 500 to 1000 litres,” said the main man behind the venture, Mr. Withanage.

The main goal of the project is to provide a stable solution for the waste problem of Sri Lanka while introducing low cost fuel options to the masses. “According to the estimations we have currently made, we believe that a litre of Polypto petrol can be priced at Rs. 75 to Rs.80,” said Mr. Withanage.

It has been nearly four years since Mr. Withanage invented this technology. He said he faced numerous challenges in transforming this concept into action.

“Although I received many invitations from private sector organizations to launch the project, I was determined to initiate the venture in collaboration with a government organization. I feel very pleased to have been able to realize my dreams and make it a success,” he added.

Polypto petrol has already been tested on three-wheelers and motor cycles.

“The fuel was exposed to a vehicle emission test several days ago and was approved. Therefore we are currently looking into the possibilities of transforming the project into a large scale commercial venture,” said Mr. Gunawardena. Speaking further he added that sanction has been received from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to manufacture fuel out of waste plastics.

UoM lecturer Dr. Shantha Amarasinghe who also spoke said that currently testing is being carried out the possibilities of further purifying Polypto petrol so that a variety of Polypto petrol can be introduced to the market.

Six percent of the entire garbage production in Sri Lanka consists of polythene and plastic waste. The total amount of garbage generated in the country is about 6,500 metric tonnes while polythene and plastic waste accounts for about 390 metric tonnes.

lack gold from waste


By Lakna Paranamanna and Rohan Kumara - Kegalle

Polypto Lanka - the world’s first plant in which petrol is generated from polythene and plastic waste - was launched yesterday at Yatiyantota.

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) in collaboration with Ananda Withanage, the inventor of the novel concept, and several lecturers from the Chemical and Process Engineering Department of the University of Moratuwa (UoM) had embarked on this venture in 2009.

The launch of Polypto Lanka was held yesterday headed by Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka. The newly produced fuel was pumped into fuel tanks of three-wheelers and motor cycles at the event, for the first time.

Minister Ranawaka who spoke at the event pointed out that this was a golden opportunity where extensive profits could be earned from waste that would otherwise contribute to adverse effects on the eco- system of the country.

“This venture will be a massive boost to achieving the goals of the Pilisaru project as well,” he added.

“The CEA, the UoM and Mr. Withanage entered a tri-party agreement on February 19, 2009. The project was initially planned to conclude within nine months. The project was, however, completed in 12 months,” said national post consumer plastic waste management project CEO/ Project Director Roshan Gunawardena.

The plant which is still in the secondary stage, processes non-biodegradable matter such as mixed plastics, except for PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and directly produces three most valuable forms of crude oil - petrol, diesel and kerosene. It has the capacity to process waste plastics from a minimum of 500 kilos up to a maximum of 1000 kilos daily.

“We have currently estimated that the output can range around 0.75 to 1 litre of petrol from one kilo of waste plastics. Therefore the daily generation of Polypto petrol can vary from 500 to 1000 litres,” said the main man behind the venture, Mr. Withanage.

The main goal of the project is to provide a stable solution for the waste problem of Sri Lanka while introducing low cost fuel options to the masses. “According to the estimations we have currently made, we believe that a litre of Polypto petrol can be priced at Rs. 75 to Rs.80,” said Mr. Withanage.

It has been nearly four years since Mr. Withanage invented this technology. He said he faced numerous challenges in transforming this concept into action.

“Although I received many invitations from private sector organizations to launch the project, I was determined to initiate the venture in collaboration with a government organization. I feel very pleased to have been able to realize my dreams and make it a success,” he added.

Polypto petrol has already been tested on three-wheelers and motor cycles.

“The fuel was exposed to a vehicle emission test several days ago and was approved. Therefore we are currently looking into the possibilities of transforming the project into a large scale commercial venture,” said Mr. Gunawardena. Speaking further he added that sanction has been received from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to manufacture fuel out of waste plastics.

UoM lecturer Dr. Shantha Amarasinghe who also spoke said that currently testing is being carried out the possibilities of further purifying Polypto petrol so that a variety of Polypto petrol can be introduced to the market.

Six percent of the entire garbage production in Sri Lanka consists of polythene and plastic waste. The total amount of garbage generated in the country is about 6,500 metric tonnes while polythene and plastic waste accounts for about 390 metric tonnes.

This is very impressive.

Sri Lanka gets $230mn waste energy plant

Apr 07, 2010 (LBO) - A Malaysian-Bahraini joint venture, Orizon Renewable Energy, is to invest 230 million US dollars in Sri Lanka to set up a power plant that will generate energy from solid waste, the investment promotion agency said.

The Board of Investment said in a statement it has signed an agreement with the joint venture company for the project to be built on a 20-acre land at Kahatamedawelyaya, Muthurajawela, in the Gampaha District, north of Colombo.

The power plant will destroy up to 1,300 tonnes of solid waste a day to generate 55 Megawatts of power to the national power grid.

Siti Fatima Mohamed Shariff, chairman of Orizon Renewable Energy, said construction work on the project will start in October 2010.

"Sri Lanka can also benefit from carbon credit qualification by introducing an environmentally friendly facility."

The first phase of the project involves the rehabilitation of an existing waste dump site at Bloemendhal, in Colombo north.

The project also involves the construction and operation of a new landfill for fresh water wastes from Colombo and the Western Province.

"The main attraction to the public and to the country is that thanks to this project, wastes will be completely destroyed without causing pollution or gas emissions," the BOI statement said.

"It also will ensure that no more lands are allocated to landfills."

A M C Kulasekera, Deputy Director General of the BOI said the gains from the project will benefit not just the investor but society at large.

This will be through an improvement of the environment, a reduction of health hazards, increased generation of much needed power and the creation of new employment opportunities for local people, he said.

It will also reduce Sri Lanka’s dependence on fossil fuel.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=805903465

One population's rubbish is another's power. Although I thought that these power plants are fairly polluting in itself.

Nevertheless, it's one of the few ways to get rid of that garbage pile. The island is small as it is and garbage disposal (especially plastics) is definitely a problem.

lack gold from waste


By Lakna Paranamanna and Rohan Kumara - Kegalle

Polypto Lanka - the world’s first plant in which petrol is generated from polythene and plastic waste - was launched yesterday at Yatiyantota.

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) in collaboration with Ananda Withanage, the inventor of the novel concept, and several lecturers from the Chemical and Process Engineering Department of the University of Moratuwa (UoM) had embarked on this venture in 2009.

The launch of Polypto Lanka was held yesterday headed by Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka. The newly produced fuel was pumped into fuel tanks of three-wheelers and motor cycles at the event, for the first time.

Minister Ranawaka who spoke at the event pointed out that this was a golden opportunity where extensive profits could be earned from waste that would otherwise contribute to adverse effects on the eco- system of the country.

“This venture will be a massive boost to achieving the goals of the Pilisaru project as well,” he added.

“The CEA, the UoM and Mr. Withanage entered a tri-party agreement on February 19, 2009. The project was initially planned to conclude within nine months. The project was, however, completed in 12 months,” said national post consumer plastic waste management project CEO/ Project Director Roshan Gunawardena.

The plant which is still in the secondary stage, processes non-biodegradable matter such as mixed plastics, except for PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and directly produces three most valuable forms of crude oil - petrol, diesel and kerosene. It has the capacity to process waste plastics from a minimum of 500 kilos up to a maximum of 1000 kilos daily.

“We have currently estimated that the output can range around 0.75 to 1 litre of petrol from one kilo of waste plastics. Therefore the daily generation of Polypto petrol can vary from 500 to 1000 litres,” said the main man behind the venture, Mr. Withanage.

The main goal of the project is to provide a stable solution for the waste problem of Sri Lanka while introducing low cost fuel options to the masses. “According to the estimations we have currently made, we believe that a litre of Polypto petrol can be priced at Rs. 75 to Rs.80,” said Mr. Withanage.

It has been nearly four years since Mr. Withanage invented this technology. He said he faced numerous challenges in transforming this concept into action.

“Although I received many invitations from private sector organizations to launch the project, I was determined to initiate the venture in collaboration with a government organization. I feel very pleased to have been able to realize my dreams and make it a success,” he added.

Polypto petrol has already been tested on three-wheelers and motor cycles.

“The fuel was exposed to a vehicle emission test several days ago and was approved. Therefore we are currently looking into the possibilities of transforming the project into a large scale commercial venture,” said Mr. Gunawardena. Speaking further he added that sanction has been received from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to manufacture fuel out of waste plastics.

UoM lecturer Dr. Shantha Amarasinghe who also spoke said that currently testing is being carried out the possibilities of further purifying Polypto petrol so that a variety of Polypto petrol can be introduced to the market.

Six percent of the entire garbage production in Sri Lanka consists of polythene and plastic waste. The total amount of garbage generated in the country is about 6,500 metric tonnes while polythene and plastic waste accounts for about 390 metric tonnes.


awesome, looking fwd to SL leading the way in converting most waste plastic to fuel.

Fri, Apr 23, 2010, 11:35 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Apr 23, Colombo: Sri Lanka's proposed coal power plant at Sampur in Trincomalee to be built through a partnership between India's power company NTPC and Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has been delayed and will not meet the earlier deadline of being commissioned by 2011, an Indian media report said.

According to Livemint.com of India, the Indian state-run power utility NTPC Ltd.'s first overseas project, a 500MW plant to be built in Sri Lanka, has been delayed by at least four years due to financial disagreements with its foreign partner and Tamil separatist strife in the island nation that ended last year.

The US$ 500 million power project is reportedly to be set up as an equal joint venture between NTPC and CEB on a build, operate, own and transfer basis and a debt to equity ratio of 70:30.

NTPC has signed an agreement with CEB and the Sri Lankan government in December 2006, but a slew of other agreements, such as a joint venture agreement and a power purchase agreement, are yet to be inked, the report said.

Following the finalization of the agreements which is expected to take a year, the construction of the plant and setting up related infrastructure are to take another three years.

The power purchase agreement, negotiated six months ago has reportedly not been signed yet.

:ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno:

And on top of that former environmental minister has given the power and energy ministry

And on top of that former environmental minister has given the power and energy ministry

Wasnt he considered a good minister since he funded that Polypto thing?

^^
The guy is a complete whack job!

Chances are the he will drive SL back to the stone-age, unless one of the Rajapakses keep him on a real tight leash.

07 May, 2010 18:16:59
Sri Lankan gas firm eyes Shell unit

May 07, 2010 (LBO) - Laugfs Group, the sole rival of the Sri Lankan unit of Royal Dutch Shell, is keen to buy the multinational's operations in the island, Laugfs chairman W K H Wegapitiya said.
Shell Gas Lanka is the dominant supplier of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Sri Lanka with Laugfs having a smaller share of the market.

Wegapitiya said his company's representatives were holding talks in London with Shell officials on buying the multinational's Sri Lankan operations.

"We're keen on buying Shell's operation in Sri Lanka and our representatives are holding talks with Shell in London," Wegapitiya told our sister news website Vimasuma.com.

It was not immediately clear how Sri Lanka's consumer affairs authority, which regulates domestic gas prices and competition, viewed the development.

The regulator allowed both firm's to sharply increase the price of gas sold to consumers for domestic use on Thursday.

Shell has said it is in talks with possible buyers and reviewing “ownership options” for most of its LPG units in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

The preferred outcome of the process is the sale of the businesses “as going concerns, through a number of phased portfolio actions,” Shell said.

Bids are due on June 1.

The oil company, based in The Hague, has already sold businesses in India in April and confirmed its plans to sell LPG interests in Pakistan as it focuses on exploration and production.

http://www.lbo.lk/fullstory.php?nid=1216054207

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday picked business tycoon Don Harold Stassen Jayawardena as Chairman of the loss making Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.

Business and political sources said that the government and Jayawardena had come to an understanding, though there were differences between the duo in the recent past. Sources said that even the Opposition had been taken by surprise with a former VVIP reacting angrily to the latest move on the part of the government.

Jayawardena figured in a case before the Supreme Court against the privatisation of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC), which resulted in the reversal of the controversial deal. (SF)

http://www.island.lk/2010/05/08/news5.html

Let's see what happens now...whatever said, Harry J knows how to run a company, so maybe he can make CPC turnaround, to some extent at least...

^^
Excellent move.

An excellent move.


Other good news is that one of his companies, Hayleys, is also going to be running the show over the new Colombo South Port (working with a Chinese company). The potential exists to really make a world renowned cooperate giant of our own this way. Will take time though.

Sri Lanka may receive a $1.5 billion loan from Iran to fully fund a project to double the capacity at Sapugaskanda refinery, Petroleum Minister Susil Premajayantha said.

"The earlier understanding was that we would have to meet 30 per cent of the cost but Iran may fund the whole expansion project," he was quoted as saying in a news agency report.

Sri Lanka plans to start the two-year construction to increase Ceylon Petroleum Corp refinery’s processing capacity to 100,000 barrels a day by early 2011, Premajayantha said. China Huanqiu Contracting and Engineering Corp had submitted a proposal to set up a refinery in the Hambantota district that would export products, he said.

The end of the three-decade war last year is attracting overseas aid and investment, stoking an economic recovery. Cairn India Ltd., a unit of UK explorer Cairn Energy, is investing $100 million to look for oil in a field off the northwestern coast that may hold 1 billion barrels of oil.

Preliminary seismic tests indicated "possible deposits of oil or gas" in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters within the Cauvery Basin in the Palk Straits and in the island’s southeastern waters, Premajayantha said in the Bloomberg report.

Sri Lanka will offer four blocks in those areas after calling for tenders from overseas companies to explore six more blocks in the offshore Mannar basin, the minister said.

"If we strike oil, we could have the refineries already here," Premajayantha said in the report.

Sri Lanka currently imports as much as 60 percent of the island’s crude oil requirements from Iran and is holding discussions on purchases from Russian companies, Premajayantha said.

Local petroleum prices are likely to be "stable" in the coming weeks while following global market rates, the news agency quoted him as saying.

http://www.island.lk/2010/05/25/news5.html

Upper Kotmale Hydro power project nearing completion

The construction work of the Upper Kotmale Hydro power project will see its completion by the 3rd quarter of 2011.

Once completed the plant will add 150 MW into the national grid, which according to energy specialist Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya will contribute 3.5% of the country’s total electricity requirement for the year 2012, news360.lk reported.

“By 2012 the total electricity requirement of the country will be 12,800 million units and if Upper Kotmale operates by that time, it will contribute 430 million units to the total figure”, quoting Project Director Shavindranath Fernando, news360.lk reported.

The UKHP is located in the Nuwara Eliya district and will be using the water flowing from the Kotmale Oya, a branch of the Mahaweli Ganga.

The USD 450 JICA funded Upper Kotmale Hydro power project was in the drawing board since 1985 and was expected to be fully operational in the early parts of 2000.

Sri Lanka’s electricity demand is growing at 8% per annum, news360.lk further reported.

http://www.isria.com/pages/31_May_2010_47.php

I think its going to be crucial for sri lanka to lift its consumption of elecrucity, becase thats where sri lanka fails to top the charts in the south asian region.

in all other forms of energy consumption intensites sri lanka tops the charts. consumption of crude oil intensity is by far atleast twice as higher than the 2nd biggest consumer in the south asian region

however sri lanka's elecrucity consumption falls about 20% short the #1 slot.

sri lanka needs to ramp up its consumption on raw materials, to take the lead again.

I think its going to be crucial for sri lanka to lift its consumption of elecrucity, becase thats where sri lanka fails to top the charts in the south asian region.

in all other forms of energy consumption intensites sri lanka tops the charts. consumption of crude oil intensity is by far atleast twice as higher than the 2nd biggest consumer in the south asian region

however sri lanka's elecrucity consumption falls about 20% short the #1 slot.

sri lanka needs to ramp up its consumption on raw materials, to take the lead again.

Hm... surely consuming more electricity isn't that important...? I think I'm missing the benefits of a "high electricity consumption nation" here.

Hm... surely consuming more electricity isn't that important...? I think I'm missing the benefits of a "high electricity consumption nation" here.

Percentage of houses with electricity maybe? That's attributable to the large number of people in the north/east without electricity, and should be corrected in a few years.

Hm... surely consuming more electricity isn't that important...? I think I'm missing the benefits of a "high electricity consumption nation" here.

Yes it does, consumption of energy and other raw materials such as steel.
If there is a high consumption of energy that means higher living standards.

high consumption of resouces means the country has more money, thus more dominite, and powerfull, militaires all require heavey metals and energy to operate effectivly. considering sri lanka spends largest chunk on its defence annually out of any country in south asia as a % per capita, or $$$ per sq/km, SL spends 4 times the 2nd largest spender. also largest military, some 375,000 active troops for a country of 20 million is a big military. to maintain such extravagant military, SL needs to have its economy in top shape. i.e you need lift your consumption of raw materils.

take my example, america some odd 250 million people yet it its takes the #1 slot as its consumption of raw materials is far far beyond china's or japan.

Percentage of houses with electricity maybe? That's attributable to the large number of people in the north/east without electricity, and should be corrected in a few years.

thats a very good point, i did'nt realise that. because how come a country with such high per capita income, high energy consumption of crude oil, and other raw materails. fall about 20% short of a countries that have much lower per captias, and energy consumptions.

btw maybe we could get a rough figure if everyone here puts thier annual elecrucity consumption, in standard units (KW-H)

i'll probaby exclude my consumption because its like 10 times the national average lol, but my consumption averaged between 110,000 -120,000 units / year over the last 3 years. ~9000-10,000 units per month.

Sri Lanka: Power transmission line to supply electricity to North

The Government has unveiled a new project to provide electricity to the North with the assistance from the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Japan.

Vavuniya-Kilinochchi-Chunnakam Power Transmission Line was inaugurated by Minister Basil Rajapaksa at a ceremony held recently in Kilinochchi.

The electricity supply will be extended in two phases, one from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi, and the other from Kilinochchi to Chunnakkam in Jaffna. The Vavuniya-Kilinochchi phase is funded by the Japanese government while the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to fund the second phase of the project from Kilinochchi-Jaffna.

The project is expected to be completed in 2012. The project carried out under the 'Uthuru Wasanthaya' programme is estimated to cost 2 billion rupees.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MYAI-85Z7NL?OpenDocument

Sri Lanka to light up remaining pockets: minister

June 03, 2010 (LBO) - Sri Lanka is to light up the entire island by expanding the national distribution network at a costs of 250 million US dollars over the next two years and providing off-grid solutions to the remotest areas, officials said.

"We want to give electricity to 100 percent of the households by 2012," power minister Patali Ranawaka told reporters.

"At the moment about 85 percent of the households have power."

He said about 2.0 percent of the households were powered by off-grid solutions like solar power.

Most of Sri Lanka's power is distributed by state-run Ceylon Electricity Board. But on a belt along the highly populated Western province power is distributed by another state run firm, Lanka Electricity Company.

Minister Ranawaka said off-grid solutions may have to be found for about 6.0 percent of households especially those living in remote hilly areas where the grid could not be extended.

Though most of the urban areas are lighted up, power has not been distributed to some rural areas.

"Over the next two year 4593 rural electrification schemes have been planned," power ministry secretary M M C Ferdinandez said.

"These will be built by the CEB with in house engineers. So the cost will be mainly to buy goods."

The CEB had lined up about 250 million US dollars in local and foreign financing to extend and upgrade the grid.
The utility was also extending its distribution to the former war torn north and east where people are now being resettled.

A 106 million dollar credit was due from Iran. The utility had got 36 million US dollars in credit for the north and for Amparai in the East a 25 million US dollars credit has been obtained from the Asian Development Bank.

China's Exim bank was giving another 60 million US dollars to re-build the network in Baticaloa and Trincomalee in the East, Ferdinandez said.

For the north central province, a 53 million US dollar credit had been lined up, he said.

About 5.0 billion rupees in local financing (43 million US dollars) has been lined up for projects in the Southern and Western provinces, he said.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1089673415

I hope these measures are really implemented, because electricity provides so many new opportunities to people...

Definitely... right steps to be taken. Electricity is a basic commodity. When I last visited the north it was like being right back in the 1970's. Mobile phone networks are increasing but many people still have no connection to the national grid. Let's aim for 100% electricity link-up in SL.

Sri Lanka gets US$18.55mn Indian wind power investment

Aug 12, 2010 (LBO) - An Indian investor is to invest 18.55 million US dollars to build a 10 mega watt wind power plant in north-western Sri Lanka, the island's investment promotion agency said.

The Board of Investment said it granted investment approval to Powergen Lanka to set up the wind power plant in Uppudaluwa, Puttalam.
BOI approval entitles investors to tax breaks and duty free import of machinery and raw materials.

The venture is expected to commence operations by June 2011.

The project will use seven 1.7 MW wind turbines for power generation, the BOI said.

Narasimhan Ramkhumar, Director of Powergen Lanka, said around 75 percent of the power generation from the wind turbines during the year will be in April to October.

The BOI statement said it was promoting investments in alternate energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

"One of the biggest challenges that Sri Lanka faces today is finding and using alternative energy sources."

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=2000726433

Sri Lanka too seems to have taken a cue from this and the much awaited and long overdue Norochcholai Coal Power Station is to be opened in December creating yet another historic landmark in the country.

Several political leaders had wanted to go ahead with this project as Coal fired power too was an important energy source to contribute to the national grid.
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/22/z_p-08-Norochcholai02.jpg
New jetty
However, none of them could resolve the controversy the project had created and they thought it was best not to touch this sensitive area.

However, President Mahinda Rajapaksa knowing the importance of the project, after doing a thorough feasibility study decided to go ahead with the project as it would bring about numerous benefits to the country.


http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/22/z_p-08-Norochcholai03.jpg
Conveyor belt to transport coal



The government also launched several programs to talk to the people and convince them of the environment myth the project had created.

One of the main points put forward was that the fumes and dust from the plant would damage the environment and agricultural cycle of the area.

Another point put forward was that the nearby Talawila Church too would have a negative impact from it. However, environmentalists and engineers have taken great pains to zero the damage the plant would cause to the area and finally people were convinced and the project commenced with their blessings in May 2006.
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/22/z_p-08-Norochcholai05.jpg
Housing complex for employees

Many countries have resorted to the technology of Coal Fired Power Plants to overcome power shortages. America generates over 300,000 MW from coal which amount to half of its power demand. India turns out more than two thirds of its electricity from coal power plants with an installed capacity of about 100,000 MW. China produces four fifths of its energy from coal power plants.

The Norochcholai venue was selected mainly as it was adjoining the sea, making unloading of coal easier.

China funds projects

The advantage in the soil too was another plus point while the government also saw that most of the land that would be used for the project belonged to the government making relocation easier and only 80 families had to be provided alternative land. They were provided with modern houses with 750 square feet in Daluwa area on a 20 perch of cultivable land.

The resettled farmer families have been provided with farming equipment, fishing gear and other requirements. They were also provided with schools and other community service facilities.
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/22/z_p-08-Norochcholai04.jpg
The Administrative Building. Behind is the Chimney
The funding of US $ 455 million for the first stage of the three phase project which would add 300 megawatts to the national grid too was a major issue until this was ironed out by the government with Chinese Exim Bank proving credit facilities. The second and third stage would add 600 megawatts. This plant will be constructed by West Coast Power (Pvt) Limited .

When all three shares are completed it would be the largest power plant in the country, in terms of capacity. In addition another historic mark of the project would be the 150 metre (492 ft) tall chimney that will be one of the country's tallest non-habitable man-made structures.

This chimney would be used to emit the smoke. Project Engineer R. Lokubalasuriya said that a painstaking procedure to meet international environment standards is being used. "The burned fuel that generates Sulphur Dioxide will be diluted through a FCD Absorber from bottom and sea water too would be sprayed in the process to further neutralise the fumes and gases. These would all happen inside the chimney and the dust would fall to a large water filled basin at the bottom of the chimney."

The plant also uses advance technology which nullifies emanation of soot and smoke and this would then be pumped to the sea through a 300-metre culvert after going through an air pump nozzle.

No damage the sea

"This waste water would not kill the fish nor damage the sea plants in the area." Coal supply to this project will be obtained from Indonesia which is one of the three sources for coal, the other two being Australia and South Africa. Supplies from Indonesia will be cheaper due to its proximity and negotiations have been completed in this regard. The contract was awarded to China National Machinery & Equipment Import & Export Corporation (CMEC), a Chinese Government owned company.
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/22/z_p-08-Norochcholai07.jpg
The power plant


The coal that would be unloaded in mid sea would be transported through Barges to the plant's newly built jetty and would be unloaded by two cranes. Then it would be loaded to a conveyer belt which would bring the coal to the two acre yard that has the capacity to store coal for three months.

The yard has been constructed with a layer of Polyphone, and other chemicals which has a thickness of nearly two feet. Electricity generated from the plant will be connected to the national grid through a 115 km long 220-kilovolt transmission line up to the Veyangoda power transmitting station.

The project would generate over 500 employment opportunities and staff would be provided with special housing units. This housing complex would have recreation facilities such as a club house for indoor sports and other activates.

People happy today

Access roads from the Puttlam Main Road were one of the major concerns with single file traffic and roads were filled with pot holes. Today, thanks to this project newly laid carpeted roads have been built which have come to high praise from the residents.

Relocated families at Daluwa too are happy as the soil which now they enjoy is more fertile.
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/22/z_p-08-Norochcholai06.jpg
The steam turbine
Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Munidasa Premachandra said that the Norochcholai project would be a major boon for the area and would help to spur development.

"Electricity is a gray area in Puttlam and this project is welcomed by the residents," he said.

He added that two years ago a certain area in Bingiriya had only one diesel powered coir mill and with the introduction of electricity 22 additional mills started in 14 months within a radius of three kilo meters".

Similarly, people are now anticipating an economic boon in the area and it would help create more jobs opportunities and self-employment enterprises.

People who said no to Norochcholai power project yesterday have understood the advantages of it and are supporting it whole-heatedly. With the success of the Norochcholai Power Project the Government is now going ahead with the Sampur Coal Power Project in Trincomalee which would add 550 megawatts to the national grid.

SundayObserver (http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/22/fea05.asp)

A valuable article

More wind power plants

Four plants add 33 megawatts to national grid:

Indunil Hewage


Hayleys Group and WindForce (Pvt) Ltd are currently building a 10 megawatt wind power plant at Nirmalapura at Kalpitiya in the Puttalam district with a total investment of Rs 2.3 billion.

The new plant will be known as Nirmalapura Wind Power Ltd. WindForce is a company owned by Seguwantivu Wind Power and Vidatamunai Wind Power.

Seguwantivu Wind Power and Vidatamunai Wind Power Chief Executive Officer Manjula Perera said construction work of the plant is scheduled to be completed by April next year. The farm of wind turbine generators will have seven turbines when completed with each turbine producing 1.5 megawatts of power, generating electricity making use of the strong gust of winds from the Indian Ocean.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4904560590_2525f576a3_b.jpg
Windmill in Hambantota

Currently a three megawatt windpower plant has been built by the Government in Hambantota. Three other wind power plants are being operated in the country. These are the ten megawatt Seguwantivu Wind Power, Ten megawatt Vidatamunai Wind Power and ten megawatt Senok Wind Power. Currently, 33 megawatts are being added to the national power grid by these four wind plants.

Two more plants, the ten megawatt Nirmalapura Wind Power and ten megawatt PowerGen Lanka plant are under construction.

Construction work of ten megawatt Lanka Transformers and 35 megawatt K L S Energy Lanka have not commenced yet.

So far, licences have been issued to generate over 90 megawatts of electricity using wind power by the Ceylon Electricity Board. There is potential to generate at least 500 megawatts within the next three years using wind power in the country.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/08/25/bus01.asp

Boost to hydro power

An engineer points at the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project after the completion of the excavation of a 13 kilometer long tunnel, the longest in the country, which takes water to the hydro power plant at Niyamgamdora from Talawakele. Pics by Kushan Pathiraja

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http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4737291083_f935bc9385_b.jpg

Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project

Looks very interesting...hope it was worth all that effort and investment...anyway, what is the capacity of the plant?

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/29/z_p-08-An-investment01.jpg
Creating yet another historic landmark in the country's power generation sector, the long overdue Upper Kotmale hydro power plant project is to be ready by January.

Engineers say that over 75 percent of the project is now completed; the final stages are now under way.

Engineers have created a 25 hectare reservoir across the Kotmale Oya and a 35.5 metre tall and 180 metre long dam is being built across it. In addition to the Sri Lankan staff, employees of Japan's Mayeda Company are involved in the construction of the project.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/29/z_p-08-An-investment02.jpg
An interial view of the completed tunnel

The Upper Kotmale hydro power plant was one of the most controversial projects in the country due to the bleak picture of the project presented by environmentalists. They went to the extent of saying that the implementation of the project would result in earthquakes in the hill country and the waterfalls running dry.
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/29/z_p-08-An-investment03.jpg
A lorry at the entrance of the tunnel

In addition to the relocation of families, they said, flora and fauna and the eco-circle in upcountry areas would be disturbed due to this project. Opposition politicians too capitalised on this issue which delayed the launch of the project.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/29/z_p-08-An-investment04.jpg
The proposed St. Clair’s waterfall viewers’ gallery

After President Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected to office, fresh feasibility studies were carried out, some changes were made to the initial plans and the project finally got off the ground in March 2006. It must also be mentioned that this project was initially planned to commence in 1985 and was delayed by two decades due to controversies.
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/29/z_p-08-An-investment05.jpg
The new Urban Council building
In addition to ironing out the controversy, obtaining funding for the project too was a grey area. The President negotiated with the Japan International Co-operation Agency and was able to secure USD 297 million on a 30-year long-term credit. The Government invested USD 87 million in making the project a reality.
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/29/z_p-08-An-investment06.jpg
The housing facility for resettled families
Today, with the project nearing completion, the myths and controversies have died a natural death.

Project Director, Upper Kotmale Project, Shavindra Fernando told the Sunday Observer that the very people who were against it and though the project would destroy them are now dependent on it.

The project will also have a positive impact on the local communities, providing opportunities for improved social and economic development. It will stimulate local business growth with opportunities created by the presence of construction camps and increased local disposable incomes.

"Today, over 2,000 people are working there and the infrastructure that came their way due to the project was pleasing," he said.

They have now been relocated in new houses. The actual floor area of the houses varies from estate to estate and also within estates. However, the area is typically between 200 and 350 square feet.
Housing

"Their housing is better than some of the houses in the cities and they are ever thankful to the Government for that. The business community also expects some benefits due to local tourism from the reservoir landscape, attracting people to use restaurants and other facilities in the town.

A new town hall, fit to be a 'mini white house' was constructed to replace the dilapidated building and this is the "Pride of the place" now. Similarly, the main school and cinema hall were rebuilt to high standards, giving the residents something to boast about. The old estate roads too were widened and re-laid with new bridges and culverts. This includes an 80 metre bridge across Kotmale Oya built at a cost of Rs. 77 million. Temples, kovils and mosques were relocated and rebuilt along with six libraries, 33 business premises and six factories.
http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/29/z_p-08-An-investment07.jpg
The new Tamil school


The total cost of the construction of buildings and associated infrastructure is Rs. 600 million.

The development of the Upper Kotmale hydro power project will change the socio-economic situation in this area. It will provide the local areas with a number of environmental and social benefits both during the construction phase and operation phase. While the local social benefits will be largely confined to the area around the Talawakelle town, the wider benefits of watershed management will extend to the entire upper basin.
Environmental clearance

He also emphasised that the St. Clair's waterfall would not run dry due to the project. "We will be converting the waterfall into a major tourist attraction with nature trails, a viewing gallery being constructed and facilities for people to go to the basin of the waterfall which is now not possible," Fernando said.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Forestry and Environment granted the environmental clearance for the Upper Kotmale Project with some pre-conditions in March 2000. One of the conditions was that the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) should appoint a monitoring committee to evaluate the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). He also pointed out that this is not the world's first hydro power project and for centuries it has been proven that they have had no negative impacts.

Fernando also said that they are building a special protection and restoration bank around the reservoir so that there is no soil erosion. In addition, one million trees including bamboo trees would be planted around the reservoir of which 250,000 have already been planted. "Similarly, many other precautionary measures have also been taken," he said.

The project will provide infrastructure development including roads, electricity, telecommunications, water supply, clinics and garbage disposal facilities. These improvements will certainly enhance the continuing development of the area.

The Upper Kotmale project will show its environment improvement effects in global as well as local terms.

He said that a project of this nature should have been completed five years ago as the country needs to get set to meet the growing demand for power in future. "Sri Lanka's electricity requirement has been growing at an average rate of seven to eight percent annually, and this trend is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. To meet the high growth rate of demand for electricity, CEB's Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan for 2002-2016 envisions this project," he said. This project would generate 150 megawatts. The waters of the Kotmale Oya will be diverted at the Talawakele Intake dam, into the headrace tunnel (length - 12.5 km), and then to the powerhouse, which is located about one kilometre downstream.

A 220 kV double circuit transmission line will convey the electricity to the existing Kotmale Switchyard with a 17.5 km transmission line. Hydro power is still the world's cheapest source of power generation and this is an investment made with the country's future in mind.

SO (http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/29/fea06.asp)

Looks very interesting...hope it was worth all that effort and investment...anyway, what is the capacity of the plant?

I think only 150MW not much

I thought so...won't do a lot, but still a decent project...the 700 MW Coal Power Plant will contribute much more to the grid...

I thought so...won't do a lot, but still a decent project...the 700 MW Coal Power Plant will contribute much more to the grid...

Itz 900Mw not 700Mw Phil^^

Itz 900Mw not 700Mw Phil^^

850 MW into national grid after transmission losses and in-house consumption.

Every little counts really! Here's to no more frequent power cuts in the future :cheers:

(Reuters) - Sri Lanka is to have its first nuclear power plant within the next 20 years to generate cheap electricity to draw large investments and boost its post-war economy, a top government official said on Monday.

"We have received government clearance to set up a nuclear power plant of 1,000 MW," M.M.C. Ferdinando, the secretary of the Ministry of Power and Energy told an investor forum in Colombo.

Ferdinando said the government would begin feasibility studies soon for nuclear power in addition to coal, and hoped to get safety approval from the World Atomic Energy Authority.

"You have to have the plant and safety measures for disposal before starting the plant by 2030."

Ferdinando did not elaborate on the cost or whether Sri Lanka would get help from Iran, which has been a staunch anti-western ally of the island nation and its main crude oil supplier.

Investors have long complained of expensive electricity and poor infrastructure, neglected during a 25-year war that ended in May last year, had deterred potential investors.

The $42-billion economy, which currently depends 60 percent on diesel power and 40 percent on hydro power, is in the process of building a 900-MW coal power plant with a loan of more than $1.3 billion from China and a 500 MW coal power plant with an Indian loan.

Sri Lanka plans to cut its diesel power dependence to 20 percent of total electricity generation by 2017 once both coal power plants have started full operation.
Reuters (http://in.reuters.com/article/idINSGE68J0E620100920?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&rpc=401)
(Reporting by Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)


What u all think?

60% reliance on diesel power is nuts. Some very shortsighted planning from the past.

Anyone know what the cost/benefit ratio of hydro vs coal vs nuclear is?

I would have laughed at the notion of SL building a nuclear plant a few years ago, but MR has got a lot done in the meantime. Let's wait and see.

I'd like to see individual homes and buildings having solar panels on their roof. If the govt were to 'give away' solar panels in order to provide electricity to the buildings they were on I wonder how much less electricity would be used? Would the cost of millions of solar panels and the free electricity they'd provide be worth it compared to building a power plant?

Am glad to finally see that the government has decided to set up a nuclear power plant..

There are many advantages to nuclear power now, although the intial costs are high its cheaper to run them plus your can comparatively generate a much higher output compared to other plants for example 1 truck of uranium produces as much energy as 1000 trucks of coal! Carbon emissions are low as no fossil fuels are burnt, its just the transportation of uranium that contributes to fuel use. Also we depend less on foreign oil imports which seems like a huge problem to Sri Lankan if we are generating 60% of our eletricity using diesel thats insane!!!

The only issue with nuclear power is the disposal of waste (although waste is also very low) but am sure by the time we develop this in 2030 there will be a technology that would even make use of the waste.

Sri Lanka to harness nuclear power
The Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) is to carry out a feasibility study to look into the possibilities of harnessing nuclear power to switch over to least cost power generation.

According to the Power and Energy Ministry sources, Sri Lanka plans to generate nuclear power from the country’s first nuclear power plant which is proposed to come up in 2030.

The government has approved a proposal to use nuclear energy as a least cost option for power generation under technical support of the UN nuclear watchdog.

The official said that the AEA Act would be implemented to meet the technical requirements in nuclear power generation. Sri Lanka needs to get the clearance from the IAEA for installing the nuclear power plants.

The first proposed nuclear power plant will have the capacity of 1GW. The ideal location and other ground requirements for the nuclear power plants will be decided according to the recommendations of the feasibility study. http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/09/26/oostory.asp?sid=20100924_11&imid=nuc.jpg&dt=[September%2024%202010]

20 Oct, 2010 14:24:48
Sri Lanka signs US$82mn hydro power deal with China

Oct 20, 2010 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's state-run Ceylon Electricity Board has awarded a 35MegaWatt 82 million US dollar hydro power plant deal to China, power minister Champika Ranawaka said.
The run-of-the-river plant known as the Broadlands project on Sri Lanka's Kelani River will be built by China National Electric Equipment Corporation (CNEEC) and connected to the grid by 2014.

"The engineering estimate for the project was 102 million US dollar but the contractor is building it for 82 million US dollars," minister Ranawaka told reporters after signing the construction contract with CNEEC.

The CEB also required the bidder to arrange finance.

The project will be 90 percent financed by the Industrial and Construction Bank of China on a 15-year floating rate loan at 220 basis points above the London interbank offered rate and will also include three years grace.

The balance 10 percent funds will come from state-run People's Bank.

Minister Ranawaka said the plant will generate 126GigaWatt-hours of energy a year.

The project involves the building of a 114 meter long, 24 meter high gravity dam across the Maskeli Oya tributary of the Kelani River complex at Polpitiya.
Another smaller diversion weir 48 meters long and 19 meters high will be built across the Kehelgamu Oya and water brought through an 850 meter tunnel to the main reservoir. The main tunnel to the generators will be 3.2 kilometres long.

The Broadlands project is the last plant in the so-called Laxapana cascade power station complex on the Kelani River system which was started 50 years ago.

The CEB is separately rehabilitating plants in part of the Laxapana complex at a cost of 6.97 billion rupees which will add 14 MW of additional capacity and in another part at a cost of 4.2 billion rupees with Austrian suppliers credit, officials said.

http://www.lbo.lk/fullstory.php?nid=1352326941

Nov 13, 2010 (LBO) - Sri Lanka is considering OTEC, or ocean thermal energy conversion, in the eastern deep-water harbour of Trincomalee as part of a renewable energy drive, Minister of Power and Energy Champika Ranawaka said.
"We're trying to promote renewable energy," he told a forum of exporters organised by the National Chamber of Exporters to discuss the island's future power plans.

"Trincomalee is one of the best places for OTEC and we're now exploring its possibilities," Ranawaka said.

OTEC is an energy technology that converts solar radiation to electric power using the ocean's natural 'thermal gradient' - temperature differences between different layers of water in the sea - to generate power.

Tropical waters close to the equator with narrow continental shelves and steep offshore slopes and relatively smooth sea floors are considered good locations for OTEC.

Trincomalee, a natural harbour with a deep trench, has long been considered a potential site for OTEC but the island's 30-year ethnic war which ended last year had held up plans to exploit its potential.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=878753267

aYnSvnGSM_4

Dec 09, 2010 (LBO) - Sri Lanka is looking closely closely at using liquefied natural gas (LNG) for power generation and transport, according to a note by the island's petroleum and power ministries.
The move aims to reduce the use of more expensive petroleum products whose prices are rising.

The entire thermal energy generation of the state power utility, Ceylon Electricity Board, depends on liquid petroleum as fuel at the moment.

The note said 35 percent of the thermal generating capacity uses the most expensive form of the liquid fuel, auto diesel.

A total annual savings of 572 million US dollars is estimated from the switch to LNG, with over half coming from electricity generation, the document said.

The use of LNG as a fuel is not in the CEB's long-term power generation plan, which has recommended the cheapest option, coal.

A steering committee of senior government officials is to be appointed to oversee the switch and the petroleum industries ministry is to arrange for long-term LNG supplies, the note said.

The government statement said that with slight modifications, the CEB-owned 165MW combined cycle plant and privately-owned AES 165MW combined cycle plant at the Kelanitissa complex can be converted to LNG, reducing costs.

Another 200MW Fiat gas turbine and other gas turbines at Kelanitissa currently not used because of the high cost of generating power using auto diesel can also be converted to LNG.

Analysts say the Fiat gas turbine is in place as a peaking plant and not expected to be used regularly and other small turbines are overdue for de-commissioning.

Industrial and domestic users of liquid petroleum gas as well as vehicles run on LPG can also be converted to natural gas, the government said.

The note did not say whether whether the price gap LPG and LNG would be big enough to create an incentive for owners to switch to LNG.

It warned that further delays in going for LNG would be costly just like the delays in seting up coal fired power plants forced the CEB to rely excessively on diesel-fired plants whose generating costs are high.

"Sri Lanka already has lost time in getting liquefied natural gas," the statement said.

"Any further delay will lead Sri Lanka to yet another crisis in the not too distant future as LNG supplies will be committed to other countries."

Power sector analysts had warned earlier that setting up LNG storage and handling facilities would be costly.

The note did not mention the capital costs of setting up LNG handling and storage facilities.

Experts have earlier warned that independent studies -- by USAID, 2002, the World Bank, 2004, Japan International Cooperation Agency, 2006 -- found that LNG was not an economical source for power generation for Sri Lanka.

Others have also warned that deviating from CEB's long term generation plan in the past due to political pressure had been the key reason for the current high cost plants in the system.

The first 300MegaWatt coal plant is also about to be commissioned, which will reduce reliance on diesel and furnace oil plants.

LNG is cheaper than diesel and LPG and also cleaner, producing less harmful emissions, and its high purity results in higher thermal efficiency reducing generating cost, the statement said.

http://www.ft.lk/wp-content/uploads/file/52%2813%29.jpg

The Government yesterday announced that it is to venture into a US$ 52 million (Rs.5.2 billion) project to introduce Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to be used for power generation was well as other sectors of the economy.

By Deepal V. Perera
Minister for Power and Energy Champika Ranawaka told Daily FT that the new project is expected to be completed in two years and once completed it would reduce the country’s dependence on diesel, coal and water to generate power.
“Presently we are using three to four diesel turbines which contribute 700 megawatts of power to the national grid. By using diesel we have to pay Rs.20 for each unit, but if we use CNG the cost per unit will be only Rs.10. So what we are going to do is to introduce CNG for these plants which will bring an overall saving of 60% on our fuel bill and reduce our carbon emissions by 50%,” he said. Under this plan a CNG processing floating plant will be anchored at the seafront of Kerawalapitiya from where the gas would be brought to the plant by ships and then pumped to the storage at the Kerwalapitiya plant.
“By switching to CNG we will be reducing our dependence on diesel, coal and water for the energy production. By engaging other energy input sources we will be creating an energy mix for the country,” Minister Champika said. Commenting on the cost involved in converting the present diesel power plants to work on CNG, the minister said, the existing plants were dual mode plants which could be converted to work on CNG without any modification.
“The other good thing about CNG is that it can be used in other sectors such as transportation and hotel sector. So we are hoping to expand CNG into other sectors as well where the benefit could be channelled to these sectors mainly to reduce costs and also control emissions. On the other hand CNG will be the option for the country’s future energy needs as it has been reported to last for another 100 generations whereas fossil fuels are predicted to become out of supply in time to come,” Minister Ranawaka said.
The Minister also commented that that new venture would be handled by Lanka Transformers Limited a subsidiary of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).
Commenting on the future plans for the CEB the minister said that the Board was expected to release its Annual Report by 1 January indicating its plans for the future as well as the income received and expenses incurred during 2010.

FT (http://www.ft.lk/2010/12/28/govt-goes-for-52-m-compressed-natural-gas-push/)

Hambantota awaits first fully fledged solar-power park:CEB

By Bandula Sirimanna

Hambantota is to switch on its first fully fledged solar-power park – providing 1237 Kilo Watts of energy to a large number of households as well as public buildings, street lights and places of worship in the area, Ceylon Electricity Board sources said.

The governments of Japan and Korea have granted financial assistance to set up the solar-power park at Baruthankanda located in the southern Hambantota district where a majority of the population in the village lives without power. Access to electricity in Sri Lanka is heavily concentrated in urban areas. The first phase of the solar power project is to be funded by the Japanese government, and the second by the Korean government.

Japan has granted Rs.1,024 million to build a solar power station with a solar power system and it will add 737 Kilowatts of power to the national grid. This project is scheduled to be completed by August this year. The site preparation work is now underway, CEB sources said.

Plans are underway to set up another solar power station at Baruthankanda site under the second phase of the solar power park project with a total installed capacity of 500 KW with Korean Government assistance of Rs. 114 million.

It will be commissioned by June this year. The Japanese and Korean grant was in support of the Sri Lankan government’s efforts to address climate change and access to clean energy, a senior official of the CEB said. The fuel usage for thermal power generation could be saved by 429,000 litres per annum. It will also prevent the emission of 963 tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere annually, he added.

He revealed that there are now 15 solar energy companies operating in Sri Lanka creating employment for young people. At recent European solar energy conferences, Sri Lanka has been identified as the 'Hot Spot of Solar Energy Applications'.

The island's industries are also trying to reduce energy costs, which are the highest in Asia, according to recent studies. According to a regional comparison of electricity prices, Sri Lanka is the most expensive for customers.

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110116/BusinessTimes/bt24.html

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Courtesy of http://www.news.lk/home/17226-norochcholai-power-plant-to-supply-300-mw-electricity

thats beauty

Sri Lanka Expects First Coal Power Plant to Cut Generation, Hydro Costs

By Anusha Ondaatjie - Mar 22, 2011 8:50 PM GMT+1000

Sri Lanka’s first coal-fired power plant, scheduled to be opened today by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is expected to generate cheaper electricity as the economy expands after a three-decade civil war.

The plant at Norocholai, north of the capital Colombo, was built with a $450 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of China and will add 300 megawatts to the national grid, the government said on its website. The second phase is scheduled to be completed by 2014 at a cost of $891 million and will have a capacity of 600 megawatts, it said.

“This project will result in saving a considerable amount of foreign exchange and reduction in the cost of power generation,” according to the statement. It will “contribute toward the expansion of the industrial sector as well as other development sectors.”

Sri Lanka’s $42 billion economy may grow 8.5 percent in 2011 and 9 percent in 2012 from an estimated 8 percent expansion in 2010, according to the central bank. The island’s electricity demand is growing at about 8 percent a year.

The island nation, which imports all the fuel it needs, gets about 47 percent of its electricity from oil-fired plants and the rest from large hydro-power projects. The cost of generating power using coal is about half that of an oil-fired unit, the government has said.

Sri Lanka last year awarded its first contract for low- sulfur coal from Indonesia for about $70 a metric ton for the Norocholai project.

The country’s current power generation capacity is 2,818 megawatts, of which 1,059 comes from private producers, according to the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board. Maximum demand is 1,960 megawatts.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-22/sri-lanka-expects-first-coal-power-plant-to-cut-generation-costs.html

With Chinese push, Sri Lanka boosts power generation by 11 pct

By Ranga Sirilal

COLOMBO | Tue Mar 22, 2011 10:24am EDT

(Reuters) - Sri Lanka boosted its electricity generating capacity by 11 percent on Tuesday with the opening of a Chinese-financed coal power plant the government says will cut its foreign exchange needs and high electricity costs that have dulled investment.

The 300 megawatt (MW) plant built by Chinese engineers at Norocholai on the northwestern coast is the first coal-powered generation station on the Indian Ocean island nation, which is emerging from a three-decade civil war that ended in May 2009.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa threw a breaker switch to fire up the plant, which the Power and Energy Ministry dubbed Lakvijaya, or "Victorious Lanka" in the local Sinhalese language.

Rajapaksa said the completion of the first phase, started during the war in 2006, was tangible proof his $6 billion infrastructure and development drive to reinvigorate the post-war economy could help reintegrate a nation split by war.

"Some people believe they should stage protests to prevent investors coming into the country. We have got back many things we were to lose or we lost, and this is one example of that," Rajapaksa said in a speech at the opening.

Overseas backers of the defeated Tamil Tigers have protested against Rajapaksa's government, urging investors to avoid Sri Lanka to protest what they say were human rights violations at the end of the war.

The Power and Energy Ministry in a statement said it sourced low-sulfur Indonesian coal to fuel the plant, and expected a cost savings and lower demand for foreign exchange owing to the lower cost of coal.

Sri Lanka generates 60 percent of its 2,689 MW of from heavy fuel oil, all of which has to be imported. The exposure to oil prices in 2008 caused record inflation, and the central bank this year said oil prices are the only threat to growth.

The dependence on fuel oil has produced one of the region's highest energy costs, which has discouraged potential foreign investment and frustrated local manufacturers. Until now, the remaining 40 percent of generation came by hydropower.

Sri Lanka's government subsidizes fuel and electricity heavily for political reasons, which puts a significant burden of the $50 billion economy's budget deficit, which hit 8 percent last year, down from 9.9 percent in 2009.

Sri Lanka has committed to the International Monetary Fund, as part of a $2.6 billion loan program, to make the state-owned Ceylon Electricity Board break even along with the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.

Sri Lanka supplies electricity for around 87 percent of its population of 21 million.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/22/us-srilanka-power-idUSTRE72L3R120110322

Sri Lanka to set up wind energy parks in northwestern coastThu, Aug 18, 2011, 07:25 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.


Aug 18, Colombo: Sri Lanka plans to harness the wind power along the northwestern coast of the country and has identified Mannar and the adjoining coastal areas as suitable for setting up a dedicated Wind Energy Park.

The Cabinet of Ministers Wednesday approved a proposal made by Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka to set up the first of these Wind Energy Parks in Mannar.

The government is expected to conduct an environmental impact assessment on the proposed project.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank have agreed to provide technical assistance for the project, the government said.

The ADB has already committed funds through its loan package for 2012 to meet the infrastructure cost of the Wind Farm including the construction of 220 KV Grid Substation at Mannar and transmission line to Mannar via Vavuniya or Anuradhapura.

The government plans to develop the wind power as a significant energy source to meet the country's requirement, especially to supply power to many remote villages.

Is any body on the forum here involved in renewable energy development in Sri Lanka?

India, Sri Lanka to build power plant in ex-war zone
COLOMBO — Sri Lanka and India have finalised a joint venture to set up a $500-million coal-powered electricity plant in the island's former war zone, the two sides announced on Tuesday.

India's state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) signed the joint venture accord with the Sri Lankan government-owned Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to commission the 500-megawatt power station.

"The project will go on stream by 2016 and meet growing demand for power in Sri Lanka," the state-run companies said in a statement. More: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jb8xLZwUrXtr0sh5LCJp8N4iNGrg?docId=CNG.4a1514097a8399f41c56caffec7904aa.221

Gas Find


02 Oct, 2011 13:10:07
Sri Lanka finds natural gas deposit offshore: president
Oct 02, 2011 (LBO) - Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa has announced that a large natural gas deposit has been found in offshore waters, a presidential spokesman said.

He made the announcement in a speech at a meeting for local government polls in Kandy in the central hills.
The spokesman quoted Rajapaksa as saying an oil exploration firm drilling test wells in offshore waters had informed the government about the discovery Sunday morning.

"I was getting ready to come to Kandy early this morning when I got good news that I thought of sharing with the people in Kandy," Rajapaksa was quoted as saying.

"The company doing test drilling in the Gulf of Mannar informed me this morning that they have found a huge deposit of (natural) gas in the sea bed.

"This will help us to meet the country's energy requirements."

Rajapaksa did not give further details but Cairn India began drilling its first test well in the Mannar Basin off the north-west coast in August.

The spokesman quoted Rajapaksa as saying the firm had also begun drilling the second test well.
The discovery announced Sunday is the first since intermittent exploration for oil and gas began in the 1970s.

http://www.lbo.lk/fullstory.php?nid=1342118563

Sri Lanka to establish 500 MW coal power plant in East with Indian assistance
Thu, Jan 19, 2012, 11:44 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.


Jan 19, Colombo: With the rising demand for energy in the fast-developing Eastern Province, the Sri Lankan government has decided to proceed with the establishment of a thermal power plant at Sampoor in Trincomalee district of the Eastern province.

Acting on a proposal made by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Sri Lankan cabinet of ministers yesterday has decided to recognize the 2x250 MW capacity coal power project at Sampoor as a Strategic Development Project.

The joint venture partners for this project are the Ceylon Electricity Board and the National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd. of India at an investment of US$500 million.

Cabinet has approved the publishing of notice in the gazette as required and to place it before parliament in terms of the Strategic Development Project Act.

Despite the concerns raised by the power sector experts, the government had decided to proceed with the plant and last September completed negotiations with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India.

The construction is to begin this year and the power generation is to be linked to the national grid in 2017.

http://www.colombopage.com/archive_12/Jan19_1326996896CH.php

Old news - but worth sharing... however, gas prices are not quite so lucrative compared to oil prices these days and it's unclear how much of the resource Sri Lanka will be able to control.

Offshore Potential
24 Apr, 2012 07:11:23
Sri Lanka gas find seen to have commercial potential
April 24, 2012 (LBO) - Cairn India which struck gas in two offshore wells in Sri Lankan waters last year has indicated that at least one may have commercial potential so far.

The company found natural gas in two of three test wells drilled in the Mannar Basin, off the island's north-west coast, called the CLPL Dorado- 91H/1z well and the CLPL-Barracuda-1G/1 well.
The third well, CLPL-Dorado North 1- 82K/1 was plugged and abandoned as a dry hole on 14 December, 2011.

Rahul Dhir, chief executive of Cairn India, said the firm had acquired additional 3D seismic in a 600 square kilometer area and entered a "second phase of exploration".

A "potential commercial interest notification" has been submitted to Sri Lankan authorities under its agreement with the country, Dhir said in a quarterly review.

Typically, an oil firm will dig exploration wells and following further seismic tests will drill an 'appraisal well" to find flow rate of hydrocarbon and extent of the deposit and determine the commercial viability of a discovery.

After a find has been declared to be commercially viable, actual production wells will follow.
An official at Sri Lanka's Petroleum Development Secretariat said the firm had indicated that there was commercial potential in their discoveries but an appraisal report has not yet been given.

Dhir said seismic data "will firm up several promising leads and prepare the operator for further exploration drilling in mid-2013."

The firm had tendered for a drill ship to conduct further exploratory drilling involving one firm well and three optional ones.

http://lbo.lk/fullstory.php?nid=1596825181

Sri Lanka to have two hour power cuts

July, 23 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka will have two hour power cuts daily, the first in over a decade, following the outage of a 300 MegaWatt coal plant that generated about 20 percent of the daily energy needs of the country.

A schedule for power cuts are expected to be announced later Monday by state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), until two large plants are brought on line,
Sri Lanka's only coal plant generated about 5.9-6.0 GigaWatt hours (millions of units) of energy a day or about 20 percent of the country's daily requirement of 30-32 GWh.

Though Sri Lanka has a large hydro generation reserve, water levels are down to about 26 percent of total amid the worst drought in a decade and the plants are needed for a night peak.

The outage of coal plant was the straw that broke the camel's back, as two other large thermal plants are also out. A 270MW heavy fuel combined cycle plant in Kerawalapitiya is only running its 170MW 'open cycle' or gas turbine component pending repairs.

A 60MW GT 7 gas turbine has been stopped for scheduled maintenance for some time.

There is a 24MW private plant owned by Sri Lanka's Aitken Spence that is currency idling, as its power purchase agreement has run out.

Industry analysts say it could be run a so-called 'merchant plant' if the firm does not hold out for a fixed capacity charge. As a merchant plant, or a smaller capacity charge it would be cheaper to operate than CEB's gas turbines.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1112999124

Sri Lanka to end power rationing, coal plant fixed

July 26, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka has repaired an breakdown-prone Chinese built 300 MegaWatt coal plant allowing the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board end to power cuts, the power ministry said.

The CEB has provided continuous power with no official power cut for more than 10 years until the Chinese plant went down.

The power ministry said a 100MW steam section of a 270 MW combined cycle would also be connected to the grid over the weekend.

CEB said the high pressure steam tube in the coal plant which had ruptured had now been repaired and the coal plant had been fired. The plant had been prone to breakdowns.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1986390220

oops sorry wrong thread

The Power and Energy Ministry of Sri Lanka announced today that another 30 megawatts of electricity through wind power will be added to the national grid from Thursday (09). According to the Ministry, 30 megawatts of power is generated through three wind power plans in Kalpitiya of northwestern coast. The three plants will generate 90 gigawatts hours per year.

The government aims to increase the wind power generation capacity to 63 megawatts with the expertise of local engineers. The estimated local investment is 7.2 billion rupees.The Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka says the government will develop the wind power as an energy source to meet the country's requirement, especially to supply power to many remote villages.

Accordingly, the government hopes to add 400 megawatts of wind power electricity to the national grid by the year 2020. Sri Lanka's national energy policies and strategies aim to produce 10 percent of the country's electricity requirements by 2015through nonconventional renewable-energy sources such as wind power, solar power, and bio gas.

Source (http://www.colombopage.com/archive_12A/Aug06_1344261553CH.php)