Generation cost grossly underestimated and objectives not achievable

Proposed new coal power plant at Norochcholai:

The Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), at a press briefing held at the CEB recently, has announced that a fourth unit of 300 MW would be added to the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant. This plant is estimated to cost around USD 300 million and it will produce 1.8 billion units (1,800 GWh) of electricity annually at a cost around Rs. 8.50 plus per unit of kWh (The Island of 31.07.2020).

Regrettably, the Chairman is giving a grossly underestimated value for the generation cost leaving out more important costs. The specific capital cost being USD/kW 1,000, one may assume that the plant is a subcritical type with low efficiency and high emissions. These types of plants are no longer installed in developed countries as they have efficiency below 35% meaning the plant consumes higher amount of coal than a high-efficient plant to generate the same amount of electricity.

A low efficient plant will also emit higher amount of pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulphur and particulate matter as well as generate higher amount of ash than a higher efficient plant. These emissions cause serious damage to health of people as well as damage to vegetation and crops and also fisheries within the exposed area. The disposal of ash collected at the rate of about 100,000 tonnes annually from a 300 MW plant has not been properly addressed even with the existing plants. The addition of a fourth unit will aggravate the ash problem and its impact on the environment.

A study undertaken by the Sri Lanka Energy Managers’ Association recently, the monetized value of such damage referred to as external costs of thermal power plants have been worked out. The cost of externalities in respect of a coal power is found to be about LKR 10 per kWh, according to this study. Though the CEB may not be accountable for such damages, the government will have to meet the cost of healthcare for affected people as well as cost to the economy due to loss of agricultural and fisheries productivity. Hence, it is important to include cost of these externalities when assessing different types of generation plants. With this cost included, the cost of generation of a coal power plant will be around LKR/kWh 18.50, rather than the LKR/kWh 10 as quoted by the Chairman.

The Chairman’s statement also says that an environment impact assessment (EIA) study is underway. Actually, in Sri Lanka, an EIA study has no meaning and is carried out merely to get over a legal requirement. There is no system to monitor regularly the performance of the plant once it is commissioned after receiving approval for its EIA. For example, in a coal power plant special pollution control equipment are installed to reduce the emissions such as Sulphur dioxide and particulates to a level making it eligible for EIA approval. If the control equipment starts malfunctioning due to some reason or other, pollutants are emitted in large quantities that violate the relevant emission standards but the plant will continue to operate causing heavy pollution.

When the control equipment is new, they reduce the emissions as expected, but there is the possibility that they will start malfunctioning soon, especially when operating in coastal environment. This was evident in the existing coal plant and there is the possibility it will happen with the new plant as well. The EIA only says that with the control equipment installed, emissions will be reduced to permissible levels. Though such an assurance is given at the beginning, there is no assurance that the plant will perform as expected throughout its lifetime. Hence, what should be selected is a power plant that will intrinsically not generate pollution such as a gas power plant or one operating with renewables.

Another issue is how the capital cost is met. The cost of the plant is expected to be USD 300 million or LKR 60 billion. How will the CEB raise this amount of capital? Is it on a loan raised from a Chinese source or from a commercial bank or from a multilateral financial agency like ADB or World Bank, but it is unlikely these institutions will fund coal power projects? Hence, the choice is limited to a Chinese Institution or commercial bank/s. There were also media reports that CEB may enter into a joint venture with China with 50:50 share and the CEB may obtain a loan from a local bank to meet its obligation. In any case, financing the project will include additional costs.

According to a report released by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, the cost of generation of existing coal power plant is LKR 18.60 based on Bulk Supply Tariff submission by the CEB for the period Oct-Dec 2017, including finance cost, and excluding cost of externalities and transmission. In November 2019, Cabinet approval was granted for the CEB to hire Chinese technicians for maintaining the existing coal power plants. It is very likely that the CEB will have to depend on Chinese technicians to manage the new plant as well, in which case its maintenance costs will escalate.

The Chairman, therefore without misleading the Cabinet and the people saying that coal power is the cheapest with the exception of hydro power, should divulge the entire costs incurred in operating the new coal power plant. These costs should include the amortized annual capital cost, fuel cost, operation and maintenance cost, externality costs as well as cost of financing.

Though the building of the fourth unit of 300 MW was approved at a Cabinet meeting held on 03.06.2020 with the objective of meeting the power deficit anticipated in 2021, it is obvious that this objective cannot be achieved by the proposed coal power plant simply because it will take a minimum of five years to complete.

The Chairman, being a professional, owes an explanation to the Cabinet as well as to the public why he recommended building a coal power plant knowing very well that the expected objective of meeting the 2021 deficit claimed in the Cabinet decision cannot be achieved with the proposed plant.

With the high costs associated with a coal power plant and its inability to meet the 2021 deficit as announced, the government should seriously consider building a plant operating with an alternative source such as gas or a renewable source which is cleaner, costing much less and taking shorter time to build than a coal power plant.

Dr. Janaka Ratnasiri

Nawala