President opens Sobadhanavi 350 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant

Marking a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s energy future, President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared open the Open Cycle phase of the “Sobadhanavi” 350 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant at Kerawalapitiya, the first Sri Lankan power plant to be operated on LNG as the primary fuel, yesterday.

Once commissioned, it would be the largest IPP (independent power producer) in the country and the first power plant to operate with LNG, paving the way for the country to transition to greener forms of power generation from conventional thermal power.

“Australia was on its way to becoming a world superpower in green energy. Our country has about 50 gigawatts of renewable energy. We must not allow obstacles to prevent us from using this energy,” President said.

He added that new laws should be made to speed up the construction of power plants and resolve any objections as soon as possible. “This introduction leads to the maximum use of our potential not only in renewable energy but also in green hydrogen. I request that our tri-forces, especially the Navy, focus on the potential of green hydrogen if they are able to use it.”

Sri Lanka should become a supply hub powered by green hydrogen. “The energy sector has great potential not only for energy but also for technological development.”

The Sri Lankan government and a state-run Indian firm on Tuesday signed an agreement to develop infrastructure for storage, regasification and LNG supply for a combined cycle power plant in the island nation, according to the power and energy ministry here.

The MoU between LTL Holdings Ltd Sri Lanka & Petro Net LNG of India aims to invest in development and implement the 18-month programme from the signing of the MoU to facilitate the LNG requirements through ISO container from PetroNet LNG Kochi Terminal to Port of Colombo and Kerawalapitiya to 1,000 MWs of LNG power plants.

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