Kelanitissa To Be Discarded Due To High Generating Costs
Shakila Ifham
October 9, 2023
Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera yesterday said that Kelanitissa thermal power plant will have to be discarded because of its high generating costs.
“The power station should have been discarded in 2020 but it has not been done. The cost of generating a unit of power is as high as Rs. 144 per unit at the Kelanitissa station,” the Minister said.
He added: “The government is thinking of acquiring ACE Power and generating power at a lower cost,” the Minister added.
The Minister said that plans are underway to call tenders for projects to produce 4700 MW of power through solar and wind power. Minister believes that it will help them to bring down power tariffs.
Despite record rains across the country, the Minister claimed that there has not been sufficient rains to shift into hydro power as some of the key reservoirs like Victoria, Rantambe, Randenigala and other reservoirs have not received adequate rainfall to begin hydro power production.
“A power tariff revision is necessary to cover the costs incurred in generating power. We will have to produce 750 GW hours of thermal power. The revision is needed to cover this cost,” he claimed.
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