By Ifham Nizam

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Union (CEBEU) has sidelined CEB Deputy General Manager Noel Priyantha for welcoming the 70 percent renewable energy policy recommended by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, as an achievable target by 2030, according to sources.

Following DGM Priyantha’s comments at the hydro release ceremony of the Broadlands Hydro Power Plant, on 18 November, under the patronage of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the CEBEU has served a ‘Show Cause Letter’.

Priyantha said that he strongly believed that 70% of renewable energy purchases could be a reality by 2030, which would enable development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in that field.

In other words, he said that it would contribute to and help build the local economy.

With the commissioning of the plant, the CEB would be able to save more than Rs. 10 million a day. In 2020, CEB losses were Rs. 60 billion as against Rs 85 billion in the previous year, a senior official said.

The 35 MW Hydro Power Plant will generate 125 million units or 125 GWh annually saving Rs. 3.75 billion.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa and the CEB senior management on November 18 visited inside the 3.5 km tunnel of the 35MW Broadlands Project.

Project was initiated on the instructions of then Presidential Task Force led by Senior Presidential Advisor, current Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

The 35 MW plant over the Kelani River at Kitulgala is constructed by the Chinese government-owned China National Electric Equipment Corporation while consultancy and monitoring are handled by the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau of Sri Lanka.

The estimated cost of the project is USD 82 million and it is partly financed by a USD 69.7 million loan from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. The balance is financed by the Hatton National Bank of Sri Lanka.

The Broadlands project is the last plant in the Lakshapana cascade power station complex on the Kelani River system.

The construction of the plant would prevent some 88,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. A unique feature of the project is that it is Sri Lanka’s first large-scale hydro power plant associated with the Clean Development Mechanism established under the International Kyoto Protocol.

Plans have been prepared to construct an energy park, including a hydro power museum in the area, expecting the area to become a tourist attraction.

The Broadlands 35MW and Uma Oya 120MW hydro plants were scheduled to commence operations by the start of 2015, as per the 2011 plan. However, they had been removed from the 2011 and 2013 plans for some unknown reason, an official said.