Sri Lankan government to decide on converting thermal power plants into LNG plants

The Sri Lankan government is currently discussing and is to decide within the next few weeks, the option of converting all thermal power plants in the country into those run on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

The conversion would affect 800MWs of electricity that is currently generated through thermal power.

Petroleum Minister Susil Premajayantha, who proposed the conversion, said that converting to LNG would be cost effective and would also be environmentally friendly.

"Although it would take between three to four years to build the necessary infrastructure for the conversion, LNG could be transported in barges to the port and then pumped to the power plants through pipes," he noted.

Meanwhile, Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka observed that the government would decide on the conversion shortly and that the only issue that needs to be addressed is the transportation of the LNG.

"LNG has to be compressed to be transported and has to then be transformed to a liquid gas to be used in the plant," he said, adding that the government needs to decide on whether the country should opt for a fixed or floating LNG terminal.

Constructing a fixed terminal would take time while the floating option could be initiated almost immediately.

As for preparing the plants to accommodate LNG, Ranawaka said the existing thermal power plants are dual fuel and therefore the switch would be possible by simply changing the nozzles.

According to Ranawaka, studies have also revealed that the country may have the necessary LNG resources by 2014.