Construction of a wind barrier to prevent the blowing of coal dust from the Norochcholai Lakvijaya coal power plant is expected to be completed before August.
Lakvijaya coal power plant at Norochcholai was the first coal power plant built in Sri Lanka. The coal power plant stocks 1.2 million tons of coal in 48 acre area near the shore in the northwest of the island.
As it is located near the beach, many problems have arisen in the surrounding areas from coal dust on the surface blowing off with the wind into the nearby villages.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in June this year laid the foundation for the construction of a wind barrier west of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant. The 1200m in length and 15m in height barrier will be built with a special metal and a fiber at a cost of Rs. 600 million.
The construction of the barrier is about 70 percent complete and expected to be finished by August, according to the CEB. Once completed, the barrier is expected to significantly reduce coal dust blowing into the nearby villages.
The barrier is one measure to protect the villages from coal dust. In parallel to the construction of the wind barrier, over 13,000 trees have been planted inside the power plant and along both sides of the nearby roads. Another 2000 trees are to be planted.
