Ad hoc decisions with regard to the country’s power sector will cost the Government billions of rupees and the burden will have to be borne by the consumers, the Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) warned.
Referring to the decision to scrap the Indian funded coal power plant in Sampur, CEBEU President Athula Wanniarachchi claimed a lack of clear direction by the Government, coupled with apparent disregard for the advice of professionals, would hurtle the country towards a power crisis that it would not be able to overcome without pumping enormous funds to run and maintain costly diesel power plants.
This would mean consumers would have to endure rising electricity tariffs, he added.
He further said the decision was liable to cost the Government an additional Rs.170 billion over four years. The estimate had been made on the assumption that it would take at least four years for the proposed two combined cycle power plants at Kerawalapitiya (300 Megawatt) and Hambantota (170 Megawatt) to be converted from diesel to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). These plants are needed to meet a power crisis expected to hit the country in 2018-2019. READ MORE…
