Lanka Sites

Opening another chapter in the country’s power generation sphere, the second and final stage of multi-fuel combined cycle power plant at Kerawalapitiya will be commissioned by President Mahinda Rajapaksa today. This will provide an additional 100 mega watts of power to the national grid. The first stage of project was commissioned in December 2008 augmenting the national grid by 200 mw. The combined capacity of the facility will now provide 300 mw of electricity to the national grid.

The total cost of the project is US $ 308 million, part of which was raised from local sources - ETF, LECO and Lakdanavi Ltd with 152 million Euros lent by foreign lending institutions. The Kerawalapitiya Power Plant was defined as a successful attempt of the Government to overcome the power crisis which affected the country in 2008 hampering the targeted eight percent growth rate set by the Government under the Mahinda Chintana. The Government decided to construct the Kerawalapitiya Power Plant as a key project to address rising demands for power, particularly in view of the development goals set for the new millennium. It said that the completion of the power plant was a victory for the people who were faced with a looming power crisis.

The Kerawalapitiya Duel Combined Cycle Power Plant constructed in the marshy land bordering the Hamilton Canal was completed within a record time span of two years. The power plant is also testimony to the skills and expertise of local engineers who completed the project. Mass Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene said the second stage will utilize steam being emitted from the first stage plant. It will not make any cost impact on the power generated.

When the first stage was commissioned and the 200mw was added to the national grid, it cost Rs 30 to generate one unit of power. With the commissioning of the second stage today, the cost will get reduced to Rs 14 a unit, the Minister said.

by Shirley Wijesinghe From Daily News