1 October 2016 05:39 pm
Director General of the PUCSL, Damitha Kumarasinghe stressed that the demand for electricity was on the rise and the PUCSL had warned about a possible power shortage in 2018. “Therefore, the timely implementation of CEB’s approved generation expansion plan is the key for Sri Lanka to avoid this crisis,” Mr. Kumarasinghe said.
The power plants listed in the Least Cost Long Term Generation Expansion Plan (LCLTGEP) 2015-2034 should be immediately constructed and operated, to prevent a possible power shortage in year 2018 and beyond, he emphasized.
Mr. Kumarasinghe said the PUCSL had requested the CEB to submit the implementation plan including milestones for each of the power plants identified in the plant schedule for the period of 2017-2020 under the recently approved Least Cost Long Term Generation Expansion Plan (LCLTGEP) 2015-2034.
The implementation plan should be submitted to the PUCSL by the CEB Commission on or before October 28, 2016. The Commission had approved the LCLTGEP 2015-2034 on September 15, 2016.
“The demand for the electricity is on the rise and we have warned the government about a possible power shortage in 2018. So timely implementation of the CEB’s approved generation expansion plan is the key for Sri Lanka to sail through this crisis,” Damitha Kumarasinghe, Director General of the PUCSL said.
“There is no other way. The plants listed in the LCLTGEP for the period of 2017 – 2020, should be constructed immediately and put into operation to prevent a possible power shortage in the future.”
These plants include two thermal power plants with a capacity of 170 MWs in the South, 105 MW gas turbines, a 300 MW natural gas power plant and several renewable energy power plants with a capacity of 655 MW which include three major hydro-power plants. Accordingly approximately 1,230 MWs would be added to the national grid in the next four years, which would help ensure continuity in the supply of power throughout the country, Kumarasinghe added. (Sandun A Jayasekera)