Sri Lanka gets Rs.26bn JICA loan to uplift national power grid

Aug 11, 2015 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's government will get a 26 billion rupee concessional loan from the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA to develop its national power transmission and distribution network, a statment said.



The agreement was signed, Tuesday on behalf of the Sri Lankan govenment by R.H.S. Samarathunga, secretary, Ministry of Finance, and Kiyoshi Amada, Chief Representative of JICA Sri Lanka Office.





"The National Transmission and Distribution Network Development and Efficiency Improvement Project will come into operation with a 26 billion rupee (JPY 24.

93 billion) concessional loan from the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)," the international aid agency said. "The concessional loan is at 0.

3 percent interest with a 40 years repayment period." The Project aims to improve the productivity of Sri Lanka’s National Grid and aid the growth of the country’s economy. "The increase in efficiency of the National Grid will be achieved through the introduction of lowloss power transmission and distribution lines and construction of new substations in the Western Province including Greater Colombo, Central Province and the North Central Province," the statement said.



The main components of the Project comprise of the construction of a 220/132kV Switching Station and the 132/33kV Kirindiwela Grid Substation with related 132kV and 220kV Transmission Lines. Construction will also be carried out on a 132kV Thulhiriya–Veyangoda Transmission Line; 132kV Battaramulla Grid Substation and a 220kV Kotmale – New Polpitiya Transmission Line.

The project will also undertake capacity enhancement of 132kV Kolonnawa–Pannipitiya; 132kV Pannipitiya – Ratmalana, and the 132kV Polpitiya – New Habarana Transmission Lines. Two Underground Electricity Distribution lines in Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia area and Battaramulla will also add to the efficiency of the National Grid.



The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) under Ministry of Power and Energy will implement the project, the statment said.