Norochcholai power plant to be integrated to national grid by next year

Sandasen Marasinghe and Disna Mudalige

The Norochcholai coal fired power plant will be integrated to the national grid by the beginning of January next year, Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told Parliament yesterday.

He was answering a question raised by UPFA MP, A H M Azwer.

He said the warm water caused by the water discharged to the sea from the Norochcholai coal power plant neutralizes within a radius of 100 metres.

The Environmental Impact Assessment study, the phase one of this project, also states that there will be no effect on marine life due to warm water.

"Coal required for this plant would be imported from Indonesia by Lanka Coal Company. The ash produced from the plant will be arrested by an equipment called Electro Static Precipitator. This can arrest 99.2 percent of the particles," he said.