Tag: Petroleum
Power Seed
July 11, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is seeking Indian support to develop bio-diesel plants in the island’s Puttalam region, north of the capital Colombo, a senior public estate management ministry official says. The bio-diesel project, which is to be launched in mid-July, will use the Jatropha plant (endaru), Merinus Fernando, advisor to the ministry […]
‘t Open
July 06, 2007 (LBO) – Opening up Sri Lanka’s electricity sector to foreign competition under international free trade rules that are being negotiated could be dangerous, a senior engineer has warned. Commitments Sri Lanka might make under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), a multinational agreement covering trade in services, could be irrevocable, […]
Passing Bucks
July 04, 2007 (LBO) — Sri Lanka’s state-run oil firm Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has asked the treasury to pick up a six billion rupee subsidy tab for selling fuel to the Ceylon Electricity Board at a steep discount, officials said Wednesday. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), currently buys fuel at 55 rupees a litre from […]
Power Profits
July 2, 2007 (LBO) – Problems at Sri Lanka’s Kelanitissa thermal power station partly offset strong first quarter 2007 profit growth of AES Corporation of the US, the company has reported. AES Corporation revenues increased 11% to 3.1 billion dollars compared to 2.8 billion dollars for the first quarter of 2006, while net cash from […]
Upward Revision
June 29, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has raised fuel prices by around 5 percent almost two months after the last price increase, after allowing petroleum utilities to run huge losses and the national currency to come under pressure. . Standard 90-octane petrol would increase by 5 rupees to 111 while standard auto Diesel would […]
Ruling Roost
LONDON, June 28, 2007 (AFP) – Ten years after British energy markets were liberalised the customer is king and can put pressure on prices with a click of a computer mouse to change provider.Since Britain first prised open its gas and electricity markets to private households in 1998-1999, the market has settled down and prices […]
Structural Attempt
June 26, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan security forces found a powerful Claymore mine near an oil storage depot in the capital Tuesday, the defence ministry said.The 20-kilogram (32-pound) bomb was hidden inside the fuel tank of a vehicle belonging to a local official from the island’s Tamil Tiger-held northern district of Kilinochchi, the ministry […]
Water Water
June 22, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is boosting pipe-borne water supply to the capital Colombo by expanding two water treatment plants, a senior government minister said. The National Water Supply and Drainage Board has negotiated a loan from Hungary to expand the treatment plants at Labugama and Kalatuwawa reservoirs, Information Minister Anura Yapa said. […]
Still Trying
June 21, 2007 (AFP) – The tsunami-devastated Galle International Stadium may not be ready to host the first Test against England later this year.England are scheduled to play at the ground, one of the world’s most picturesque cricket venues, overlooked by a centuries-old Dutch Fort, at the start of December. However, a senior official connected […]
Synthetic Fuel
WASHINGTON, June 17, 2007 (AFP) – A fiery debate has been rekindled in Washington as US lawmakers mull proposed incentives to produce diesel fuel from coal.“By using one of our nation’s most abundant natural resources, coal, to produce transportation fuels, we can address fuel cost concerns, make our nation less reliant on imports from politically […]
Heaven Sent
June 16, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s power utility has increased its hydro storage after heavy rains in the last three days, and if the trend continues it may be able to avoid power cuts in the immediate future, LBO learns. The Ceylon Electricity Board warned that power cuts were imminent after monsoon rains were […]
Off-Grid
June 15, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will be able to light up 60,000 rural homes and also connect new private-sector renewable energy to the urban power grid with a new World Bank credit, the multilateral lender said. Only three-fourths of households in Sri Lanka have grid-connected power and it is too expensive for the […]