Norochcholai power plant site work begins next week

Wasantha Ramanayake

COLOMBO: The initial ground work preparing the site for the construction of the coal fired power plant at Norochcholai would begin next week, with the participation of the Chinese engineers, the Power and Energy Ministry official said. The work was undertaken by the China National Machinery Corporation, a Chinese state company, the official said.

The construction of the broad access road to the site had already by been started.

The 60 feet wide and 18 km long road from Palaviya junction to the site would cost at Rs. 936 million and 1.8 km stretch from Norochcholai junction to the site had been completed, he added. A permanent Police station had been established at the site for the protection of the proposed power plant.

According to the sources, the construction of the housing scheme for the 80 displaced families had been already commenced. A displaced family would be entitled to a furnished 575 sq. feet housing unit on a 20 perches land. Additionally families who were engaged in fisheries industry would be provided with fisheries equipment including boats, deep freezers etc. while farmers would be further entitled to two acres farming land. They will be provided with electricity and pipe-borne water and Daluwa village would be developed into a new township.

On the directive of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa a team of CEB officials including Chairman Chula Delgoda recently visited the site of the housing scheme, he said.

The project is expected to be completed by the year 2012, with a total of 900 MW of electricity generating capacity.

The first phase is scheduled to be commissioned in 2008-2009 with the capacity of 300 MW and the second phase would be finished by the end of 2010.