President discusses electricity generation plans with CEB engineers

President Maithripala Sirisena this week held a discussion with a group of members of the Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Association at the Presidential Secretariat on future plans for the development of the power sector.

The discussion focused on the future plans which aimed at the development of the field of energy while protecting the environment and boosting the economy.

During the meeting, the engineers apprised the President in detail of factors including planning locations to build future power stations, and exploring the possibility of using large-scale wind power plants as an alternative to the hydropower.

The CEB Engineers’ Association also expressed their views regarding the challenges posed by some interested groups against their plans on low-cost power plants.

Furthermore, the Association pointed out the importance of taking into consideration the opinions of the experienced energy experts in the field when implementing future plans and they also presented the long term power generation plans of the Ceylon Electricity Board to the President.

Sri Lanka’s power regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has warned the power distributor, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) that if appropriate measures are not taken, Sri Lanka will face a major power crisis by 2018 and beyond.

Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera, Ministry Secretary B.M.S. Batagoda and CEB Chairman W.D.S. Wijaypala and others participated in this event.