St. Theresa Industries and CEB partner for tower line, gantry distribution
St. Theresa Industries (STI) Holdings, the leading manufacturer of steel fabrication and accessories used for power generation, transmission and distribution in Sri Lanka, announced its new partnership with the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to support the construction of 33kv distribution tower lines and gantries, by acting as the local representative for the Chinese construction company, Qingdao Huijintong Power Equipment (HTJ) – the main contractor named in the deal.
This initiative by the Power, Energy and Business Development Ministry will see the development of 13 gantry structures and 16 tower lines of over 297 km supported by 1000 33kv transmission towers to form an extension to the medium voltage distribution system of the CEB in all parts of Sri Lanka.
The fourth of the CEB project’s nine packages has been awarded to HJT for the construction of the tower lines and gantries at a sum of Rs.6,781.5 million as recommended by the Standing Cabinet-appointed Procurement Committee, a decision that was further approved by the Cabinet. Aiding the mission financially, the Asian Development Bank granted the ministry a loan of US $ 115 million in an attempt to help strengthen the transmission and distribution work of the CEB.
Commenting on STI Holdings’ latest project, Founder and Managing Director Colin Fernando said, “The Electricity Reliability Improvement Project marks a significant milestone in the energy sector of our country. It will uplift the demand and distribution of electricity in all parts of Sri Lanka, aiding rural and suburban growth by further strengthening and solidifying the infrastructure required to do so.”
With a mission of empowering the lifeblood of the nation, STI Holdings has come a long way in its journey of 45 years to being the one-stop solution for all turn-key engineering projects in Sri Lanka. They’ve catered to a vast number of significant projects in recent times, locally as well as globally, including ‘Uva Udanaya’, ‘Uthuru Wasanthaya’ and even rural electrification in Sri Lanka and Uganda.
Speaking further on the subject, STI Holdings Director Business Development Madushanka Fernando said, “The ever increasing need for better technology in all parts of Sri Lanka has to be supported, not only for basic needs like household electricity or charging a simple phone. Local entrepreneurs in sectors such as agriculture need to adapt and capitalise on the latest technology that is available to them without consistent interference especially in the rural areas of the country. This project by the CEB upgrades infrastructure in these regions, enabling entrepreneurs, industries and even education facilities to move forward not just with the more developed parts of the island but keep up with the rest of the world.”
Constructions will take place in towns of 33kv Medium Voltage Distribution lines and Two Section Bus Bar (2SSBB) across ten districts islandwide. This includes Puttalam, Keeriyankalliya, Mallawapitiya, Rathmalgoda, Maho, Maeliya, Wimalasurendra, Maskeliya, Ampara, Uhana, Kapalthurai, Irakkandy, Kumburupitiya, Tawalantenna, Kegalle, Badulla, Ella, Mahiyanganaya, Bibile, Rathnapura, Monaragala, Wellawaya, Warukandeniya, Morawaka, Elpitiya, Mattaka, Matara, and Yakabedda.
HJT manufactures various galvanised and painted steel structures, including lattice steel towers, steel poles, steel tubular towers, substation structures, microwave communication towers, electrified railway structures, wind power generation equipment, photovoltaic power generation equipment, etc. used for 1100kv UHV and below voltage levels of transmission lines.