Renewable energy, solution:

New action plan for CEB

CEB which has incurred a heavy loss can be resurrected with a new action plan – both in terms of financial and corporate. The trade unions also support this effort. Their suggestions are also included in the action plan. It is a bottom-up approach which aims at transforming the CEB into a profitable insititution

Renewable energy will be the new order of the energy sector in Sri Lanka in the near future, Power and Energy

Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said in an interview with the Daily News. Part I was published yesterday.

Q: Can you achieve 100 percent electricity for all?

A: Yes we can. We are now aiming at 100 percent penetration by 2012. Now it is about 85 percent. We hope we can expand the national grid throughout the country by nearly 96 percent.

For the balance, we should have some off grid solutions for remote areas. Solar power and mini hydro power projects are suitable for those areas. We can’t expand the national grid to those areas because of environmental sensitivity and financial cost.

Q: What are the projects under way to light up the Northern Province?

A: Under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s leadership and according to the Mahinda Chinthana address to the needs of the people there, we have launched several projects to uplift their lives.

The Power and Energy Ministry set up the Mullaitivu Electricity Supply Scheme recently, costing Rs 170 million.

Rs 110 million had been spent to activate the 50 km electricity line along the A34 highway from Mankulam to Mullaitivu via Oddusudan.

We hope to complete the power transmission project from Vavuniya to Chunnakam by 2012 end. The total distance is 141 kilometres which will cost Rs 3,276 million.

We spend Rs 50 billion on rural electrification programs and Rs 18 to 20 billion will be spent on the Northern Province. Various grant structures are there. Of this Rs 50 billion, Rs 10 billion will be self generated by the CEB.

Q: We heard there is some issue concerning power absorption. Can you explain?

A: We now face power absorption problems as well. Because we have nearly 120 power plants and of those 94 are mini hydropower and others are bulk power stations. Independent Power Providers (IPP) are there.

So various sources are available. Our power supply system is complex. I can’t detail it out. But we have some technical problems. Renewable energy sources face this problem. When power is there, we don’t want it. But when we want power, it is not there. We can’t store renewable energy. That is one of the major problems we face.

There are other problems.

Experienced engineers have migrated to various countries. Others are frustrated. From transmitting to generating everything is outsourced.

We face technical crisis as well. We expand our network without having upgraded our systems. It may cause several power breakdowns and power overload. At times power is lost. That is because capacity has over reached beyond the transformer level.

Q: People have a negative impression about the CEB. How will you change this attitude?

A: Interraction between consumers and CEB workers is not cordial. Our service is not adequate. We receive various complaints.

We have established a call centre from June 1. It is operating now. Consumers can lodge their complaints over 1987.

You can also call 1910 if it is LECO area. If there are faults and breakdowns, contact our Ministry directly over 1901.

I am personally supervising everything. We had a brain storm with various groups.

I gave them three months to discuss and come up with various action plans,a corporate plan and a financial plan for the Ministry.

Now we are very much confident. We have completed the action plan for CEB. We have completed the financial plan as well. Each depot will be modernized as E-Shops. So various services will be received from those depots.

Q: What are the steps taken to end corruption?

A: We try to eradicate corruption from top to bottom. Transparency will be implemented. We would like to be monitored by the public. Report us if there is any corruption.

We will severely deal with tapping. Over Rs 16 million was earned in July from fines imposed on power pirates.

A special investigation unit is activated to deal with electricity tapping. In the Eastern province, there were 30 percent illegal tappings. Now it has decreased because of continuous raids.

Q: Trade unions interfere in the development of the CEB. How will you deal with them?

A: They are supporting us. These people gave us various suggestions and those have been included in our action plan. So it is a bottom-up approach. I am working 18 hours for the Ministry. We want to have a single family and work together to make the CEB our national pride. We try to transform this loss making venture in to a profit making one by 2015.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: We are planning to introduce Smart Grid System in which you can monitor your electricity bill through your mobile phone and Internet. We wll enhance the capacity of the CEB. Now everything is simply outsourced.

We are going to set up 100 percent CEB owned private company to enhance renewable energy. We hope to launch several programs to improve the Ministry ‘s efficiency by September. We depend on fossil fuel. This is a temporary measure. In the near future we will enter into renewable energy sources. The Sampur Coal plant is the last plant.

We will not construct any more coal power plants here after that. We are promoting solar, wind, tidal wave and geo-thermal as renewable energy sources soon.