By P.K.Balachandran
The Indo-Lankan project to build a 500 MW coal fired power plant at Sampoor in Eastern Sri Lanka is on, despite opposition from an influential section of the Lankan government, reliable sources told Express on Sunday.
“Reports about the project being abandoned had come out in the past too, but these proved to be baseless,” the source said. .
Only the other day, the Board of the Trincomalee Power Company Ltd., which is a Joint Venture between the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) of India and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) of Sri Lanka, had met in Colombo and decided to float a global tender at the end of May for the construction of the 2X250 MW plant.
And it is learnt that India has thrown its full weight behind the project. New Delhi sees it as a critical part of its strategic interest in having a say in the Lankan energy sector.
But the Lankan government is divided on the project. That section which is attached to the United National Party (UNP) led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe is for it, while the section close to President Maithripala Sirisena, is opposed to it.
The Prime Minister’s group says that the project, though environmentally not very desirable, is necessary, given the urgent need for power. On the other hand, the President’s group is of the view that coal power, being unclean, should be avoided at any cost, and that the country should go for solar power or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The Sirisena group says that NTPC itself could be asked to build a plant using LNG.
The opponents of the coal fired plant are supported by the Green Trincomalee Movement led by Thirunavukkarasu Gopahan, which has been organizing demonstrations against the plant for a long time.
Those who support the coal-fired plant say that using LNG would be prohibitively expensive and will have to be heavily subsidized and that at a time when the government is woefully short of funds. The cost of LNG in the international market will also fluctuate wildly. Coal on the other is cheaper and available on better terms.
Courtesy:New Indian Express