The Power and Energy Minister, Susil Premjayanth said that high ranking United National Party members have opposed the implementation of the Norachcholai Coal Power Plant at a private discussion held with the Chinese Ambassador last week.

Minister Premjayanth said that he received the information through the Sri Lanka Treasury that UNP members have appealed to thwart the construction of the Coal Power Plant, explaining to the Chinese Ambassador that the people in the area are against the execution of the project.

The Minister added that the opponents of the Norachcholai Coal Power Plant are getting paid by the diesel power generators working against the implementation of the project.

Sri Lanka in August signed a MOU with a Chinese company to build the coal power plant which is expected to reduce the electricity charges by 13 percent. Currently Sri Lanka heavily depends on the diesel to supply 70% of the electricity needed and with the rising oil prices electricity is becoming cost prohibitive for general use.

Minister Premjayanth said that if Upper Kothmale Hydro Power Plant and the Norachcholai Coal Power Plant start contributing to the national grid, the diesel power generators will eventually have to close down as their cost is much higher than hydro or coal power.

The Minister added that the extreme cost of generation of diesel power is the prime reason for the soaring electricity prices, which has resulted in increasing the cost of living of the public, since electricity is utilized to manufacture every consumer product within the country.

Puttalam district UNP leader Niyomal Perera confirmed that the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe together with himself and other UNP MPs met the Chinese Ambassador and opposed the implementation of the Norachcholai Coal Power plant.

Parliamentarian Niyomal Perera added that the UNP is against the implementation of the Coal Power plant and would assist the implementation of diesel or natural gas power plants. “UNP government under the leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe will never construct the Norachcholai Coal Power Plant,” he said.

"Diesel power stations also cause severe environmental effects to the vicinity, but the UNP and the people in Norachcholai are not against the implementation of diesel power plants," MP Perera said.

When inquired about the high prices of diesel which make the diesel power plants extremely costly to generate electricity, MP Perera said that it is the government’s problem that diesel prices are soaring.

Ceylon Electricity Board General Manager Ranjith Fonseka said that this is a clear indication that the people who oppose coal power are being bribed by the diesel power generators. He said that the severe environmental hazards caused by diesel power are being neglected by the politicians and the environmentalists who are opposing the Norachcholai Coal Power Plant.

Minister Premjayanth said, "If there is no reliable power, the economy of the country will fail and there will be utter political chaos in the country. The entire island’s environment will be affected, people will lose their jobs and the younger generation will lose their future."

CEB Engineers Union Secretary Noel Priyantha said that the Norachcholai Coal Power Plant is a national requirement to decrease the soaring electricity tariffs and to come to terms with the increasing demand of electricity which is growing at a rate of 8 – 10 % annually.

Mr. Priyantha added that the UNP politicians are desperately trying to thwart the functioning of the coal power plants bowing to the pressure from the powerful oil lobby. Diesel power generators who currently cater to 70% of the electricity requirement of the country have been the main cause to the devastatingly high electricity tariffs, he added.

The Electricity Reforms Draft states that the costs of oil-fired thermal power plants have reached a high level when compared with other countries in the region. The consumption of electricity generated by diesel is only 7% world wide while in Sri Lanka it is nearly 70%. Hence it is essential to generate electricity with a low cost production in parallel with the reform processes within a period of five years.