Gas not included in Sri Lanka’s power generation plan

Sep 12, 2015 (LBO) – Gas found in the Mannar basin has not been included in Sri Lanka’s long-term power generation plans as discovery of the natural gas resources is still at very early stages, a Ceylon Electricity Board report says. The gas quantities have not been quantified with reasonable accuracy, the report adds, even though the value of the resource would lower the cost of the CEB's current recommended generation plan. Separate scenarios were studied introducing indigenous Natural Gas in Mannar Basin by year 2020 to determine the quantity requirement and appropriate price, the CEB said in its Long Term Generation Plan. The report is now open for public discussion. “The scenario was not recommended as the Base Case Plan 2015-2034 though the present value of the scenario is lower than the recommended Base Case.” Earlier this year Cairn India announced its withdrawal from Mannar Basin natural gas exploration following the global petroleum price slump. The former Ministry of Power and Energy was keen on commercializing the natural gas deposits found by Cairn and had included it in the 10-year national energy plan.