Priority for sustainable energy projects:
Coal power plants operational with stocks:
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Dharma Sri Abeyratne
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Measures will be taken to ensure uninterrupted power supply soon whilst implementing long lasting solutions for the power crisis, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said.
Under this sustainable energy projects, which are currently stagnating will be approved promptly. It is reported that thousands of sustainable energy projects have been idling for years as these projects haven’t received the due approval from responsible government institutions.
The Minister said that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) incurs a Rs 500 million loss daily.
Speaking on the fuel crisis experiencing these days, the Minister said that more fuel shipments are scheduled to arrive in the country in due course. Accordingly the country will receive diesel, petrol, jet fuel, coal, kerosene and pureness oil on coming days. Besides, two shipments of diesel and coal were unloading yesterday, the Minister added.
Protection of fuel transporting bowsers and fuel transporting trains have been enhanced as agitations reported from several areas in the country. The Minister sought public assistance for fuel transportation. He said that fuel transportation and distribution process should be streamlined since there are certain issues with fuel distribution and transportation.
Minister Wijesekera further said that the country has now received sufficient stocks of fuel and therefor he requested the people to support the distribution of fuel without any hindrance. At present around 533 bowsers are used for fuel transportation to 1,300 filling stations countrywide. It has been planned to increase the fleet to 600, he added.
“There are queues at filling stations but we have enough fuel. In addition to the amount of fuel currently available, another consignment of jet fuel and diesel is being unloaded. The unloading of two consignments of 120,000 metric tonnes of coal, began after the payment of US$ 38 million. The existing coal stocks and the newly received stocks together are sufficient to operate the coal power plants at a maximum capacity of 810 megawatts,” the Minister said.
Thursday, April 21, 2022 – 01:09
