• Talks to get underway between Power & Energy, Irrigation & Water Resources Mgt. Ministries 
• Pvt. or PPP operation for thermal power plants under consideration, India’s Petronet presents short-term LNG generation options

Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera yesterday (22) said that discussions are to be held with the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management to bring all the hydroelectric power stations under a single entity.

Speaking at the Parliament yesterday, in response to a question raised by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya Opposition Parliamentarian Dr. Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana as to whether any decision has been taken by the Government to privatise hydroelectric power stations, Wijesekera said that no such decision can be taken according to the prevailing laws and that such false allegations are being made by parties who have no clear understanding about the country’s law. He also noted that hydroelectric power stations are under the purview of the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management and that the Ministry of Power and Energy therefore, has no legitimate power to make decisions on those power stations. “We have no power to make decisions on these hydroelectric power stations. They come under the purview of the Irrigation and Water Resources Management Ministry. I would say that there is no plan to privatise those stations and that such moves are not allowed by the law of the country. Those who make such allegations have no knowledge about the law,” he added.

Wijesekera further noted that these false allegations which are propagated by certain trade unions affiliated with the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) that those hydroelectric power stations are going to be given to foreign companies could mislead the public.

However, highlighting the importance of converting thermal power plants into liquefied natural gas (LNG) power projects, he also said that they are looking into the possibility of either privatising thermal power plants or operating those power plants under public-private partnerships (PPPs) as the Ministry of Power and Energy has no capability of making the necessary changes in the restructuring process.

Meanwhile, Wijesekera has revealed that the Indian energy Company Petronet LNG has presented short-term solutions to meet the CEB’s LNG requirement. Taking to Twitter, Wijesekera revealed that Petronet LNG presented immediate, albeit short-term solutions for CEB’s LNG requirements yesterday. Accordingly, options for short-term solutions to reduce the cost of generation in the next 24 months from the megawatts 600 plus LNG power plants available will be pursued, while a long-term plan for LNG is being finalised, he said.