Koolair Power Station

The Koolair Power Station was a fuel oil-run thermal power station which was commissioned as part of the urgent plan by the Ceylon Electricity Board to overcome the 1990s power crisis. The plant equipment was imported in 1996 and initially commissioned in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. However, due to the protests and complaints against the high levels of noise of up to 100dB caused by the plant's operation in the residential area, the plant was transferred 400 km (250 mi) to its final location at Kankesanthurai in the Jaffna District, in mid-1998. It was the biggest power station in the Jaffna region, at that time.

Despite having an original installed capacity of 20 MW, the power station had mostly operated in the 8-15 MW range due to conflict damage caused by artillery fire to the plant (and neighbouring Kankesanthurai Cement Factory) in mid-2000. The operators were unable to repair the damage due to the insurance company rejecting the claim, stating that it was due to war, and not due to terrorism for which it was originally insured for.