Reliable energy services at competitive price

Stanley SENEVIRATNE Kurunegala North group corr.

Sustainable development of energy resources, conversion of facilities and delivery system to enable access to and use of energy services by the entire population, and the safe reliable delivery of such energy services at regionally competitive price through commercially viable institutions subjected to independent regulation is the vision for the energy sector, said Wayamba Provincial Minister of Probation, Child Care and Social Welfare, Women's Affairs, Rural Industry Development and Rural Development Neranjan Wickramasinghe.

He was addressing the public meeting soon after he declared opened the Rural Electrification project completed at an estimated cost of Rs. 3,75,000 at Moder Estate Uyandane in the Kurunegala PS division which caters for 40 family units under Gama Neguma concept.

The Minister said that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and Eight Independent Power Producers generate electricity in Sri Lanka using hydropower and petroleum fuels. Over fifty privately owned renewable energy-based small power producers mostly small hydropower, also sell their electricity to the national grid.

He said the CEB operates the high voltage (HV) transmissions system and the grid substations. Both CEB and Lanka Electricity Company distributes electricity. In 2005 the total electricity sales were 7201 gigawatthours (Gwh2) at an average price of 7.71 LKR/KWH (CEB average) excluding VAT.

The Minister said in 2005 electricity generation grew by 9.3 per cent and is expected to continue to grow at rates between 7-8 per cent per year over the next fifteen years. The national grid serves electricity to an estimated 73.2 per cent of the households. While about 3 per cent of the households are served by off grid systems based on solar power or community small hydro/wind and biomass power plants.