India, Sri Lanka to sign MOU next month for undersea power line

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 September 2009, 08:15 GMT]
The Governments of India and Sri Lanka are to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the construction of an undersea power line between South India and Thalaimannaar in Sri Lanka next month. The construction work of the power line will start next year and the estimated project cost is $ 500 million, according to Power and Energy Ministry Spokesman.

He said that the cost of the project will be shared by both countries, and added that the power line would provide opportunity for both countries to transmit power either ways as the necessity arises.

Around 500MW to 1000MW electricity will be purchased from India under the first and second stage of the project and Sri Lanka is expected to sell its electricity to India from 2018, he further said.

About 5400 MW electricity is to be added to the national grid by 2018 then the national supply will be more than the requirements of the country. The power projects underway such as Nuraichchoalai, Upper Kotmale, Trincomalee and Kerawalapitiya will add 900MW, 150MW, 1000MW, 750 MW electricity respectively to the national grid. At present electricity capacity in the country is 2400MW and the electricity demand will be increased by 10% yearly, he said.