No fear of any power crisis: Siyambalapitiya

Allaying fears and uncertainties in the minds of stakeholders about an impending power crisis,power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said yesterday Cabinet approval has been granted to construct power plants with an installed capacity of some 2,000 MWS.

He said under the Mixed Power Generation Plan (Mpgp),three LNG power plants with a combined capacity of 1,400 MWS would be constructed in the next four to six years.

At a ceremony held at Ruwanwella Royal College to distribute solar power panels,the minister said two LNG plants with an installed capacity of 500 MWS would be constructed as joint ventures with India and Japan,and another LNG plant of 400 MWS would be constructed as a joint venture with China.

He said another LNG plant with a capacity of 500 MWS was also likely to be built with financial assistance from Korea on a Public Private Partnership (PPP).

“All these plants will be commissioned by 2025 under the MPGP which is also in tandem with the Least Cost Power Generation Plan (LCPGP) of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL). The MPGP was also approved by the National Economic Commission (NEC) chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena,” the minister said.

Commenting on the future of the SLFP, the minister said the President who was the party leader did not control the party with an iron hand and therefore all members have been given full freedom to air their views.but this freedom is sometimes used to weaken the party.

The minister presented a two kilowatts solar power unit to the chieftain of the Vedda Community,wishwa Keerthi Wanaspathi Uruwarige Wannila Aththo, to be used at the Indigenous Community Centre in Dambana.