Government to sell Norochcholai to China
By Niranjala Ariyawansha- February 12, 2014
The government is to sell the entire Norochcholai Coal Power Plant (NCPP) to Chinese Engineering Mechanical Company (CEMC), and discussions between the Treasury Secretary, Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, and high ranking officials of the Ministry of Power and Energy, have commenced in this regard, electricity unions alleged.The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Union and the Independent Engineers Association of the CEB vowed they will strongly oppose any move to sell Norochcholai to a foreign company. Meanwhile, the Ceylon Electricity Workers' Union (CEWU), claimed that Norochcholai would generate revenue amounting to
Rs 100 million per day, and that the government is conspiring to sell it to the Chinese.
Convener of the CEWU, Ranjan Jayalal, said they will launch trade union action if the government takes a decision to sell Norochcholai to Chinese Engineering Mechanical Company.
"Resources in Sri Lanka belong to Sri Lankans. The Norochcholai Coal Power Plant was started as a project of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). However, the government now is trying to sell it. If the government takes steps to sell the NCPP, we will resort to strong trade union action," he asserted.
However, when Ceylon Today contacted the Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy, M.C. Ferdinando, he said, the ministry has no plans to sell Norochcholai to anyone.
"Norochcholai is the power station which makes the highest profit. We do not want to sell it. We had requested technical co-operation from China for three years and we had discussions with Chinese in that regard," he said.
He noted further that the ministry had decided to get the support of Chinese engineers due to the Sri Lanka engineers lacking the requisite knowledge on using coal.
"We had requested a 20-year guarantee for the condenser from the relevant Chinese company. There is a language problem as well. We don't have sufficient training on how to maintain a coal power plant," he said.
However, internal sources said that initial discussions to sell the power plant hadbeen conducted. Ceylon Today was also informed that the Chinese engineers are not prepared to employ any Sri Lankans in the power plant.
Meanwhile, the Adviser of the National Electricity Consumers Movement (NECM), Bandula Chandrasekara, said if Norochcholai is sold to China, one-third of the country's electricity requirement will be supplied by China.
"The total electricity generation capacity of Sri Lanka is 3,200 MW, out of which 900 MW is generated by Norochcholai. If China gets the ownership of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, they would become a supplier of electricity in the country," he claimed.
By Niranjala Ariyawansha- February 12, 2014
The government is to sell the entire Norochcholai Coal Power Plant (NCPP) to Chinese Engineering Mechanical Company (CEMC), and discussions between the Treasury Secretary, Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, and high ranking officials of the Ministry of Power and Energy, have commenced in this regard, electricity unions alleged.The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Union and the Independent Engineers Association of the CEB vowed they will strongly oppose any move to sell Norochcholai to a foreign company. Meanwhile, the Ceylon Electricity Workers' Union (CEWU), claimed that Norochcholai would generate revenue amounting toRs 100 million per day, and that the government is conspiring to sell it to the Chinese.
Convener of the CEWU, Ranjan Jayalal, said they will launch trade union action if the government takes a decision to sell Norochcholai to Chinese Engineering Mechanical Company.
"Resources in Sri Lanka belong to Sri Lankans. The Norochcholai Coal Power Plant was started as a project of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). However, the government now is trying to sell it. If the government takes steps to sell the NCPP, we will resort to strong trade union action," he asserted.
However, when Ceylon Today contacted the Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy, M.C. Ferdinando, he said, the ministry has no plans to sell Norochcholai to anyone.
"Norochcholai is the power station which makes the highest profit. We do not want to sell it. We had requested technical co-operation from China for three years and we had discussions with Chinese in that regard," he said.
He noted further that the ministry had decided to get the support of Chinese engineers due to the Sri Lanka engineers lacking the requisite knowledge on using coal.
"We had requested a 20-year guarantee for the condenser from the relevant Chinese company. There is a language problem as well. We don't have sufficient training on how to maintain a coal power plant," he said.
However, internal sources said that initial discussions to sell the power plant hadbeen conducted. Ceylon Today was also informed that the Chinese engineers are not prepared to employ any Sri Lankans in the power plant.
Meanwhile, the Adviser of the National Electricity Consumers Movement (NECM), Bandula Chandrasekara, said if Norochcholai is sold to China, one-third of the country's electricity requirement will be supplied by China.
"The total electricity generation capacity of Sri Lanka is 3,200 MW, out of which 900 MW is generated by Norochcholai. If China gets the ownership of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, they would become a supplier of electricity in the country," he claimed.
