• Cabinet nod for 100 MW supplementary power 
• Cabinet paper by Ravi to address power crisis gets shelved
• Rs. 8 b worth of construction in power sector under ADB project 
• Korean company wins Rs. 2 b contract to change street lights to LED bulbs
  
   

By Chathuri Dissanayake

The Cabinet this week appointed a five-member committee, headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, to find short-term and medium-term solutions to the prevailing power crisis in the country, a statement issued by the Information Department said. 

The Cabinet proposal, presented by Power, Energy and Business Development Minister Ravi Karunanayake, will also include Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Highways and Road Development and Petroleum Resources Development Minister Kabir Hashim, and Ports and Shipping and Southern Development Minister Sagala Ratnayaka as the other members of the committee.The committee is expected to present recommendations on the short-term, mid-term and long-term measures to address the current crisis in the power sector. 

However, the Cabinet shelved another paper presented by the Power Minister, outlining a number of short-term and long-term solutions to address the current crisis. The paper included the construction of three coal power plants to generate a total of 1000MW, four LNG plants with capacity to generate 1200MW in total, three 35MW gas turbine plants, four 24MW HFO plants, and another 22MW of LPG engine plant. The proposal included constructing wind power stations with total capacity of 450MW, and solar energy plant of 300MW. Further, it also proposed to construct a 100MW battery storage facility, and to increase the reserve capacity to 25% from current 10%. The current reserve percentage is determined by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, taking different parameters into account. 

The Cabinet also approved a number of other proposals made by Karunanayake, to purchase 100MW of emergency power on a short-term basis, and to construct 33KW distribution lines for the Electricity Supply Reliability Improvement Assistance Project, the statement said.

The Cabinet approved the proposal made by Karunanayake to sign the procurement agreement for supplementary electricity for 6 months with Aggreko International Project Ltd., to supply 24 MW to Pallekele Substation and 10 MW to Galle Substation, at Rs.30.20 per 1 KW. Another contract to supply 10 MW to Mahiyanganaya Grid Substation at Rs.30.58 per 1 KW and 8 MW to Polonnaruwa Substation at Rs. 30.63 per 1 KW is to be awarded to Altaaqa Alternative Solution Global FZE of United Arabic Emirates. The Cabinet also gave approval to award the contract to supply 24 MW to Hambantota Grid Substation at Rs. 28.43 per 1 KW and 24 MW to Horana Grid Substation at Rs. 28.70 per 1 KW to V Power Holdings Ltd. of Hongkong, the Information Department said.

In another paper, Karunanayake also obtained Cabinet approval to award Qingdao Huijintong Power Equipment Co. Ltd the construction of 33 KW distribution pillars and gantries under the Electricity Supply Reliability Improvement Assistance Project. The job, costing Rs. 6,781.5 million, is funded by the Asia Development Bank. Another contract under the second component of the Green Energy Development and Energy Efficiency Improvement Investment Program, for the construction of 33 KW distribution lines and gantries worth Rs. 2,708.6 million, was awarded to Ceylex Engineering Ltd. 

The Cabinet also gave approval for a proposal presented by Internal & Home Affairs and Provincial Councils & Local Government Wajira Abeywardanato award the Rs. 2,708.6 millioncontract to install efficient LED street lights to Korean Telecom Company, the Information Department said. 

Fuel prices unchanged