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Renewable energy gets boost: CEB ordered to halt Norochcholai extension

10 Jul 2021

  • No final decision yet on halting project: CEB 

  • Clean energy capacity to be pushed to 90% 

  • CEB engineers favour coal power plant  

 By Maheesha Mudugamuwa   President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to halt the construction of an extension to the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant and to increase the country’s clean energy capacity to 90% as opposed to the earlier agreed ratio of 70%, The Sunday Morning learnt.  It is learnt that the said decision had been taken during a progress review meeting held last week.   However, the CEB is yet to take a final decision on halting the project.  In the President’s election manifesto, Rajapaksa had highlighted the importance of the renewable energy sector of the country, as he stated that by 2030, it is expected that the country’s renewable energy mix would be 40% of the total portfolio, and had also anticipated that hydro and renewable energy together would account for 80% of the overall energy mix by 2030.  The earlier agreed ratio was 70% of renewable energy which has now been instructed to be increased by another 20%.  Nevertheless, the Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP) 2020-2039 of the CEB has highlighted the importance of the extension of the Lakvijaya Coal Power Complex in 2023 and 2024 with high-efficiency coal power plant development.   Furthermore, two 300 MW high-efficiency coal power plants are expected to be commissioned in 2025 and 2028 at Foul Point in Trincomalee.  The Sunday Morning learnt that CEB engineers are in favour of coal power, as they claim that it is the cheapest base power the country could have at present. As identified, future coal power plant development is an integral requirement in order to cater to the power sector demand at a lower cost.  According to the CEB’s generation plan, by 2025, the capacity share of coal power plants will be at 30% while natural gas power plants would be at 35%. By 2030, this share shall be 30% from coal and 34% from natural gas.  The CEB also stressed that in the long term, it is important to recognise that coal power plant development programmes will have a favourable influence on the economy. Countries like India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh have developed large-scale coal power plants recently to facilitate their economic development. The timely implementation of the coal power plants identified in Sri Lanka is essential and delaying the construction of these plants any further will increase the price of electricity and affect the economic development of the country, they claim.  However, when contacted by The Sunday Morning, CEB Chairman Eng. Vijitha Herath said that no final decision had been made with regard to the coal power plant constructions as of yet.   “We are still discussing but we have not made a final decision as of yet,” he added.   


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