The Sojitz Kelanitissa Power Station (also known as Sojitz Power Station, and AES Kelanitissa Power Station), is privately owned diesel-fired combined cycle power station located in Kelanitissa, in the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is owned by Sojitz Kelanitissa Private Limited, a subsidiary of Sojitz Corporation.[1] [2] The power station is located adjacent to the Kelanitissa Power Station, which is a separate government-owned power station.
The power station consists of two generation units, a GEPG9171E gas turbine with a nameplate capacity of, and a steam turbine manufactured by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited. Construction works were done by Larsen & Toubro.[3] Like all power stations in Sri Lanka, power generated by the power station are sold to the Ceylon Electricity Board under a 20-year take-or-pay power purchase agreement. The low-sulfur diesel is supplied through an existing pipeline by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, with 20,000 tons, or the equivalent of 28-days of full capacity operations, stored in case of any fuel shortage. The plant is currently running on a 20-year contract, which ends on October 10, 2023. CEB acquired the power station on 28 March 2023.
After the 1996 power crisis, in the midst of the Sri Lankan Civil War, the Government of Sri Lanka decided to invite IPPs to the country to increase the installed capacity. Sojitz signed the Letter of Intent with the Ceylon Electricity Board on, obtained the environmental approval on, and signed the Power Purchase Agreement, Fuel Supply Agreement, Implementation Agreement, and Land Lease Agreement, on .[4] [5]
Construction of power station commenced after the signing of EPC on, and the combined cycle unit was installed on . The plant officially commenced operations on .
In 2004, fire broke out at Sojitz Kelanitissa Power Station. The power station was shut down for restoration in 2004–2005.[6]