Power generation to rise to 20,000 MW by 2021

The government has stressed the private sector involvement to increase electricity generation to 20,000 MW by 2021 from 3,800MW at present.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith in his budget speech said, “We are determined to take appropriate steps to increase power generation to 20,000 MW by 2021. It is not possible on the part of the Government alone to finance huge investment. We have, therefore, embarked upon involving the private sector in short, medium and long term plans.”
“In 2009, 440 MW will be added from 11 projects under the private sector. If we go ahead as planned, we hope that by 2013, additional 2,810 MW of power will be produced through 13 projects under public sector and another 1,350 MW, under 3 projects of private sector including Bibiyana,” he informed.
He said that the government encouraged private sectors to produce renewable energy by providing various financial incentives through both public and private channels. Due to gas shortage, the government is compelled to set up expensive dual-fuel power plants that can use diesel or furnace oil and also gas, he added.
The Finance Minister pointed out that the energy and power sector demands a comprehensive plan for ordering of power plants, increasing supply of gas and other feed stock, strengthening of power transmission and distribution facilities, rationing of gas supply to competing demands, finalisation of a coal policy and a long term sectoral master plan.
He informed that 45 percent of our entire population has access to power. “Currently our per capita power consumption is only 172 kwh, which is 325 kwh in Sri Lanka, 408 kwh in Pakistan and 665 kwh in India,” he said.
He also mentioned his government plan to set up a 1,000MW Nuclear Power Project at Roopur.
“We shall set up coalfired power plant using environment friendly technology for extraction of coal. If required coal may be imported to run these power plants,” he noted. He further said that they are continuing dialogue with our neighbouring countries to import power for mitigating the power crisis on a short term basis.”
The government took up a Tk. 105 crore project to produce energy-saving bulbs to save 350 MW electricity, he added. Additional 837 kilometres of power grid line, 17 sub-stations and 15,000 kilometres of distribution line will be constructed, he said.
About gas, the gas reserve in the country is depleting. At present, the proven reserve of gas is 7.3 TCF while the probable reserve is 5.5 TCF. Setting up a Gas Development Fund to enhance the capacity of BAPEX for exploration of oil and gas is under active consideration of the Government in the proposed budget, he informed.
The government has allocated Tk 4,310 crore to the power and energy sector in the proposed budget for FY 2009-10.

Courtesy of The New nation