Moves to reconnect Jaffna Peninsula to national power grid

Ishara Mudugamuwa

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is planning to reconnect Jaffna Peninsula to the national electricity grid on September 25, after a lapse of over two decades.

"This is possible as we have laid out the infrastructure to connect Jaffna to the national electricity grid," Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said yesterday.

"Indian Forces launched the Pawan mission to defeat terrorists after the Indo-Lanka agreement in 1987. As a result, terrorists destroyed the electricity grid. Since then, the Jaffna Peninsula could not be connected to the national grid," the minister said.

He said the Vavuniya - Kilinochchi Transmission Project was implemented according to the Mahinda Chinthana Vision for Future. A double circuit zebra transmission line was constructed from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi and 63MVA, 132/33 kv new grid substation was setup in Kilinochchi. Two 33kV line bays were constructed. They are capable of supplying power to Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Jaffna districts, Ranawaka said.

A total of 238 transmission plants were constructed at Rs 3,200 million from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi. A low interest loan was given for this project by Japanese International Cooperation Agency.

The opening ceremony of the Kilinochchi grid substation and transmission line will be held on September 25. Under the second phase of the project, 132/33 kv grid substation will be constructed in Chunnakkam and 132 kV transmission line from Kilinochchi - Chunnakkam.

"Electricity consumption in Jaffna has increased by 95 percent. Nearly 121,000 consumers in Jaffna will benefit with the completion of the Kilinochchi- Chunnakkam transmission line by 2014," the minister said.