The Hon. Kumara Jayakody - State Minister

¶ 01 Line losses are around 9 percent in many areas — high. We are reviewing and targeting to bring that to below 7 percent, with necessary recommendations.

¶ 02 As stated earlier, LNG-based generation is identified as an interim measure. Some previously suspended procurements are being revived for quick implementation. We have two plants designed to operate on LNG, but currently run on liquid fuels due to constraints, at higher cost. We have initiated required procurement for LNG infrastructure and gas supply and will expedite. While scaling up renewables, LNG will serve as a transitional energy source; though not zero-cost, it is cheaper than diesel. We will minimize diesel use. Network constraints raised earlier also matter: until transmission projects are completed, we sometimes must buy from diesel plants despite cheaper sources elsewhere, due to limited system flexibility. We are addressing these.