South Africa extends assistance to provide coal at concessionary rate

Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya with South African High Commissioner Geoff Q.M. Doidge

 

Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya recently said that South African Government would provide high quality coal at concessionary rates to Sri Lanka in the near future.

Following a special meeting with South African High Commissioner Geoff Q.M. Doidge, the High Commissioner had agreed to support Sri Lanka in this endeavour.

Siyambalapitiya said it was important to have an uninterrupted supply of high quality coal to the Norochcholai power plant, which contributes significantly the national grid. Therefore, the South African Government’s assistance would greatly benefit Sri Lanka to uplift the power generation supply in the economy.

The Minister added that the two countries wished to have further discussions on the same and would bring it to the notice of the President Sirisena and the Cabinet of the Ministers.  

“In order to meet the ever-increasing power and energy demand, Sri Lanka needs to switch to alternative renewable energy sources. By early next year we hope that the country would be in a position to increase the electricity supply to 100%,” Siyambalapitiya said at the meeting held at his Ministry. 

He said that the Government had also focused on power conservation programs to meet the challenges of the global warming and climatic changes as well.

Siyambalapitiya asserted that the Government would further strengthen bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and South Africa, and would collaborate with the South African Government to develop and boost the alternative power and energy sources to meet demand.