Work begins on coal power plants by mid year

The Power and Energy Ministry will construct the second and third coal power plants at Sampur and Welvur areas in Trincomalee by the middle of this year.

The Sampur power plant with a capacity of 1,000 Mega Watts will be constructed in June with Indian Government assistances. Construction will be handled by NTPC India and the entire project will be supervised by the Ceylon Electricity Board.

Over 300 acres of land have already been acquired for this. Power and Energy Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne has requested officials to commence construction activities immediately after the conclusion of surveying which will be complete by April end.

The first stage of the Sampur power plant will cost $ 500 million and 70 per cent of which will be through international grants while 30 per cent will be borne by NPTC India and the Ceylon Electricity Board.

This 99.2 per cent environmental pollution free power plant will consume 1.1 million tons of coal which will be imported annually.

There will also be a Naval Jetty at Sampur to unload coal from ships.

Around 4,000 youth in the area will get direct employment under this project, Ministry sources said.