Indo-Lanka undersea cable project to begin soon

Colombo: A special Indian Government delegation will arrive here within the next fortnight to start work on the proposed Indo-Lanka underwater electricity transmission cable project.

A Power and Energy Ministry spokesman said the proposed 1,000 Mega Watt transmission cable from Madurai, India is built as a solution to Sri Lanka's current electricity crisis. The feasibility study of the project has already been completed.

The cable would be drawn upto Anuradhapura and connected to the national grid. The project estimated to cost US dollars 450 million is due to be completed in 2012.

The spokesman said Sri Lanka is expected to generate excess electricity with the completion of the on-going large scale power plant projects in 2015 and 2018. The same Indo-Lanka cable network would be utilised to transmit this excess to India then.

The visiting delegation would meet Power and Energy Minister W. D. J. Seneviratne and Energy sector specialists for detailed discussions on the project.