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Soundness of the coal power option

In a decisive, ground-breaking policy recommendation which holds out the promise of helping Sri Lanka out of the current power crisis, the National Development Council of Sri Lanka's Working Group on Power and Energy has told the Government that work should commence immediately on the Norochcholai coal-fired power plant. It proposes that the first 300 MW of power from this plant be obtained "not later than January 2006 to avoid a worse power crisis".

The proportions of the present power crisis should convince the public of the urgent need to explore all available energy options, provided their vital interests are not compromised in the process.

The feasibility of coal-fired power projects is a foregone conclusion although the choice of Norochcholai as a location for a project of this nature in Sri Lanka, has come in for some flak in recent times. It is quite some time since environmentalists and sections of the Catholic Church objected to this location on environmental and other grounds.

Now we have no less a person than the UNP leader crying "foul" over this project.

Recent reports quoted him as saying that he wouldn't permit this project in the event of his coming to power. How, then, does the UNP propose to resolve the crippling power crisis in the short and medium term? Sri Lanka seems to be in for even darker days.

It is important that the debate on the power crisis be taken out of the sphere of power and opportunistic politics. What is at stake is the well being of the people and politicians would do well to examine the power and energy issue from a national point of view.

Power is an urgent, national need and Norochcholai offers the best location for the proposed project although the concerns raised by critics of the project should be seriously considered. The choice has to be made between serving our immediate power needs in the least costly fashion and giving in to the lobbies which are critical of the coal power project on grounds which are to some extent baseless. We suggest that there be no confrontational attitude in this matter. The ideal situation would be for the parties to the debate to come together in an earnest effort to find a consensual solution to the problem.

The onus is on the Government to engage these parties in a constructive dialogue, now that an expert group has recommended the Norochcholai project on rational grounds.

What is starkly clear is that the country cannot afford to quibble any longer on this issue. Both parties to the debate must see the urgent need to resolve the crisis in the most practicable way.

We also welcome the Working Group's recommendation that the country ends its exclusive dependence on private investment for thermal power generation. Such a situation must indeed end because the ultimate aim of the State should be to provide the people's energy needs at the least socio-economic cost. This condition cannot be met if the private sector is granted a dominant role in power-generation. Private capital is not usually sensitive to national needs and aspirations.

• Editorial of  The Observer - Political credibility 15.11.2001:

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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