22-03-2025

Engr. Kanthar Balanathan

DipEE (UK), GradCert (RelEng-Monash), DipBus&Adm (Finance-Massey) 

Former Director of Power Engineering Solutions Pty Ltd, Consulting Electrical Engineers

Associate of the Australian Institute of Physics

Leading Engineer of the World 2006, UK Award

Web:  https://neuronmind.blogspot.com/

To: GOSL-Sri Lanka

 

Planning for Revitalisation of KCW Zone

I wish to introduce myself before I proceed with my concepts and notions. I am 82 years of age, retired and live in Australia. I was employed as a Works Engineer (Electrical) at the Ceylon Cement Corporation (KCW) from 1969 to 1977. During my period we had several issues with production. (i) loss of production as a result of several voltage dips, (ii) Electrostatic Precipitator malfunctioning as a result of high temperature of the raw meal dust and due to the barbed wire corrosion. I submitted proposals of solutions, and one was completed. The solution I proposed was the installation of Short Circuit Limiting Coupling (SLC)- (GEC) at the sending end of the 33kV Chavakacheri power line at Chunnakam. This line was passing through a saline area (Kaithady) causing flashover at the insulators during summer seasons. This equipment will mitigate the fault current on the line due to flashover. The two industries should have completed a Cost Benefit Analysis before making a final decision. The financial division was not in favour of DCF studies then. Not sure whether this project was completed.

Further, I had issues with the Burners (Production staff) as they were only 6^th /8^th standard educated staff, and they did not understand what “ionisation” meant. They were clueless staff not even understanding what “parallax” meant. The staff were funny with no patriotism. Even some engineers were clueless. They did not know what Calcium Disilicate and Calcium trisilicate meant. The voltage dips caused the plant to trip twenty to thirty trips. Each trip will cause downtime of at least half to one hour. Heavy loss causes the Cement Corp to lose money.

The closing of the industry in 1990 was the result of the LTTE damages caused during the Insurgency period. The power lines were damaged as the tower bolts were removed by some clueless hoodwinks and dupes.

By the time I left, the quarry had reached a level of more than 40 feet (I may say). Some of us were not happy going further deep as the quarry site was close to the sea.

 

Solution for development of the plant area

Reinvesting a new cement plant at KKS is not a worthy, beneficial and appropriate idea. The site is close to the sea and a tsunami could gulp the area. The silos cannot be reused. Before deciding GOSL could employ a consultant to survey, test and quantify the volume of limestone availability and the period for which the limestone can be used in terms of years. Decide whether it is worth the spend.

Sirs, please forgive me for this statement. (i) Politicians should get involved in this type of work initially to conclude an act of investigation and convey to the people (ii) to decide and approve the capital cost of the project. They should get involved in the political aspect of the project and not in the technical aspect.

This is the mistake made by the previous governments. Politicians get onto the floor to make decisions. An example is the failure of an EHV transformer at Biyagama. During this failure, the politicians were presenting their bullshit facts to the press and made decisions. CEB had to get a German engineer to tell that the tap changer had combustible gas in the oil. One minister ordered the CEB to send the whole turbine to Italy for NDT testing rather than getting the NDT specialist to SL so that Sri Lankan engineers could get trained. These types of idiotic mistakes are made in Sri Lanka only by the previous governments.

An example I can give. I was entrusted with a project worth 6.5 million dollars in NZ. Decommission four gas turbines and install one SFC, four Static exciters, and associated electrical equipment for four generators to start as a motor to function as synchronous condensers for voltage support. We had only one meeting and at the end, the Manager asked me. “Will this work” and I said Yes. No interference from any managers, the General manager, or the Technical manager. I had to present the Cost Benefit analysis study I did and the project brief, only once. The project was completed in eleven months. If it was in SL I may have had to sit and answer questions every day, every hour, perhaps. Why is this? The General management does not trust their staff. How will the country progress? God knows whether in SL they would have given me a project worth $6.5 million. Do the previous government politicians work for a kickback only?

During my period at KKS; Cement Corp brings welders from Germany to weld. Is it because of of lack of intelligence and competence of our staff in SL? Maybe for the politicians to get a commission.

Suggestion

GOSL could employ technical consultants to visit the site at KKS, study the area, and give proposals as to what type of industries could benefit Sri Lanka. GOSL should consider one or two Sri Lankan consulting industrialists also. The silos perhaps cannot be reused. If GOSL may consider employing overseas consultants, one from India and one from European nations. KKS has all modes of transport. (i) Railway, (ii) Sea, (iii) Air (iv) Road.

Maybe GOSL could get a proposal from Baskaran Kandiah also, please. I do not know BK personally or have not met him, except through the media.

Just a thought, the site could be used as a (i) second Port Commission in the North with a comprehensive workshop to serve the Railway, CTB and the oncoming ships and production of valuable equipment/parts for the nation (ii) Commission a comprehensive Textile Factory.

 

Example:

A gentleman named Baskaran Kandiah (BK) invested in an industry estate called REACHA at Kilinochi. I take my hat off to this gentleman. I recommend that he shall not get involved in Tamil politics, but grow as an industrialist and help the nation like Gnanams. Baskaran Kandiah is an asset to Sri Lanka. Maybe GOSL could get a proposal from Baskaran Kandiah also, please. I do not know BK personally or have not met him, except studied through the media.

There was another guy named Subaskaran Alli Rajah (Lyca) who failed in his path, I may say, and he has become a liability to his industry. He invested in Indian cinema and the speculation is that he did not pay his taxes. Subaskaran has become a liability.

 

Conclusion

·         A new Cement plant at the KCW site is not worth it for the country. It may give a negative NPV. What will be the life period of the new cement plant with unknown limestone stock?

·         GOSL should consider another project at this site which will yield income to the country with a sound return on investment with an acceptable life period.

·         The investment should serve multiple industries.

·         GOSL should make sure that the power system supply has no weakness in that no more voltage dips at KKS.