The Norochcholai coal power plant is operating on technology which is over 20 years old, a senior official at the plant told The Sunday Leader.
He also said that key instruments in the plant have begun to gather rust as it is located near the sea in Puttalam.
A section of the power plant caught fire last week but did not hamper operations. This was the second time that the power plant had caught fire.
The Norochcholai coal power plant was expected to deliver 300 MW of power to the national grid but the official said that the plant is currently capable of producing between 150-200 MW of electricity as a result of the old technology in use.
A Chinese company is currently maintaining the plant but the agreement expires in five years. China Machinery Engineering Company has given a thirty-year warranty for the coal power plant, the official said on the condition of anonymity.
The second stage of the coal power plant is expected to be completed by the year 2014.
Meanwhile, there are also environmental concerns over the power plant. Sea water used to cool the power plant is released back into the sea.
The water released into the sea is however above the average heat and is posing a threat to hundreds of fish, officials said.
When contacted by The Sunday Leader, Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawake said that there was no threat to the fish. The Minister however admitted rust does build on some of the instruments because of the sea nearby but the rust is always washed off and fresh paint is applied on those areas.
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/08/28/coal-plant-running-on-old-technology/
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