President says no to coal power plants

COLOMBO (News1st): President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has shot down moves to set-up any coal power plants in the country. According to a weekend newspaper report, the President has said he has vowed to shift Sri Lanka towards renewable energy and does not want to become a joke before the world. The project to construct the fourth unit at the power plant had been handed over to a Chinese company without a tender. The newspaper report notes that the Chinese firm which has constructed the other three units at Norochcholai, has a fully fledged project office and has hired lawyers and financial consultants apart from other experts to implement the initiative. During the meeting, the President had instructed that 70 percent of the country's power should be generated through renewable energy by 2030. The decision taken by the President to promote sustainable development by protecting the environment, is commendable.