File Photo: Agencies. 

COLOMBO, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will build its first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) power plant by the end of November, local media citing a statement by the Ministry of Power and Energy reported on Friday.

Construction of a 300 MW LNG power plant in the northern Colombo suburb of Kerawalapitiya will begin at the end of this month to coincide with the one-year anniversary of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa taking office, the state-owned Daily News reported.

The project is based on a proposal by Minister of Power and Energy Dullas Alahapperuma, which has been approved by Sri Lanka's Cabinet of Ministers.

"The Power and Energy Ministry aims to empower the country with effective, environment-friendly and cost-effective power generation in line with the president's vision of prosperity," Alahapperuma said.

The government's National Policy Framework aims to convert all fuel-powered plants in the Colombo area into natural gas turbine plants.