Chinese funded power plant to resume operation in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO -- A key $455 million Chinese funded power plant will resume operation in two weeks, Sri Lankan power minister said on Friday after its breakdown earlier in the week resulted in countrywide power cuts.

"There are some technical problems in the Lakvijaya power plant. The Chinese company, the Ceylon Electricity Board and the consultancy firm are now looking into these problems. I think within another two weeks' time we will be able to operate this plant again and restore 24-hour power supply," Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka told Xinhua.

He added that the coal-fired power plant had become essential to meet daily power needs due to a severe drought in the country that has reduced hydro-power generation.

The loss of the electricity generated by Lakvijaya power plant brought about two- hour power cuts that were extended to three hours from Thursday. The ministry has already announced that the daily power cuts will continue for 14 days.

"The Lakvijaya power plant is still in a defect-liability period and there are tests to be done. So I think that as far as the main machine is concerned it is ok but there are problems in the auxiliaries and various technical details because of the unfamiliar nature of the coal power plant."

However, he insisted that these issues would be overcome in time and commended the Chinese government for their funding to construct the power plant.  

"I think in time to come we will be able to overcome these technical and other difficulties and after commissioning the second phase of the plant I think the two- decade power deficit problem in Sri Lanka will be solved."

Vice Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board Anura Wijepala told Xinhua that the Lakvijaya power plant is expected to meet 30 percent of the island's entire electricity demand by the year 2014.

"We still have faith in the main equipment. The breakdowns are as a result of faults in the auxiliary equipment. Those can be easily corrected. The Chinese company CMEC has identified those issues and together with our engineers they are working on it," Wijeypala said.

Sri Lanka had been forced to impose power cuts around the island over the past few days after the coal power plant broke down and the authorities were unable to meet the electricity demand through hydro power owing to lack of sufficient rain in the hydro catchment areas.