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Power Minister rejects CEB plan, insists on 70 percent renewable energy sources
The 20-year Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP) prepared by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in keeping with the government’s 2019 policy guidelines has been turned down by Power Minister Dulles Alahapperuma, the Sunday Times learns.
Since it is a policy of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that by 2030, 70% of the country’s energy consumption should be from renewable energy sources, the Minister has informed the CEB to revise the plan to achieve the 70% renewable energy target.
The team had spent more than one year to prepare the report.
However, CEB officials said a number of technical and financial challenges would have to to be overcome to achieve the target and the cost would be heavy.
“A new transmission network has to be set up for this. A massive investment of at least USD 1.3 billion will have to be made,” an official said.
As officials pointed out, the LTGEP (2022-2042) has been prepared in total conformity with the government’s 2019 policy guidelines which stated, “Under favourable weather conditions 50% renewable energy sources have to be included.” The Minister did not agree.
The CEB’s Board of Directors had given its consent to the plan.
According to the Sri Lanka Electricity Act, the Minister in charge of the subject has to provide policy guidelines approved by the Cabinet for the preparation of LTGEP.
However, CEB sources said even though the Minister did not agree with the LTGEP (2022-2042), no new policy guidelines had been received by the CEB to redo it. Official pointed out that CEB did not have any legal authority to prepare another LTGEP without policy guidelines.
The LTGEP prepared by the CEB for the upcoming 20 years is revised once every two years. According to the LTGEP, the CEB prepared the Transmission Plan for the upcoming 10 years. This too is subjected to revision once every two years.
Under these circumstances, the country has only the LTGEP prepared in 2018. According to that, the Transmission Plan is valid only until 2027. Based on the government’s 2019 guidelines, the Public Utility Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) delayed approval for the LTGEP prepared in 2020 and as a result, it was abandoned and a 2022 LTGEP was prepared.
In 2020, about 35% of the country’s energy generation was to be from renewable sources and included in that were: Hydro 25%, Mini Hydro 6.7%, Solar 1.7% and Wind 2.1%. Now, all hydropower sources in Sri Lanka have been harnessed. Thus, only wind and solar power can be utilized as renewable sources.
CEB Engineers Union (CEBEU) pointed out it is their responsibility to prepare LTGEP so that a unit of electricity could be supplied to consumers at a low cost while considering the ground reality in the country and not on behalf of political or business mafia.
“This is similar to quality and costly organic food. Even though everyone likes them only wealthy people can buy,” the CEBEU said.
The union said that to achieve the target of 70% renewable energy by 2030, thousands of acres of forest would have to be cleared.
“A large area is required to build a Solar or Wind Power Plant similar to the 900MW Coal Power Plant at Norochcholai. If not, that 900MW will have to be scattered across the country. These will have to be constructed in places such as Mannar, Hambantota and Puttalam. However, more electricity is used in cities such as Colombo and Kandy. Hence, excess solar and wind power will have to be stored. Hydro power pump storage will have to be built. It will definitely take 10 years to build a hydropower plant. It will have to be built in up country. Will a poor country like us be able to bear this kind of huge cost? Even if we do have the funds, to do this, it will take a very long time,” CEBEU President Engineer Saumya Kumarawadu said.
Now, the maximum capacity of the transmission line of the national power grid is 220 kilo volts. If the target of 70% renewable energy is to be achieved in 2030 the capacity of the transmission line would have to be 400 kilo volts.
Similarly, solar power can be obtained for only a maximum of 6-7 hours in the day and wind power is a seasonal that can be attained only during 6 months of the year.