The Lanka Coal Company (LCC) is set to commence the tender process for purchasing coal for the upcoming season in July, according to LCC General Manager Namal Hewage.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Hewage said that the company had ample time to complete the tender process, as several coal shipments were still pending for the September and October seasons.

At present, the company has nine coal shipments outstanding from the previous season.

Despite this, Hewage assured that the company was well prepared to meet the country’s energy needs.

The Norochcholai coal power plant, which is crucial to Sri Lanka’s electricity generation, has confirmed that it currently has sufficient coal stock to continue operations without disruption.

As of Thursday (10), the country’s coal stock stood at 912,685 MT, with several shipments still in transit. 

The 35th coal shipment is being unloaded, while the 36th is anchored and awaiting offloading. The 37th shipment has arrived and is stationed at the Outer Port Limit (OPL), with the 38th expected to arrive soon, according to Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) statistics.

Currently, coal meets 37.7% of Sri Lanka’s electricity demand, amounting to 19.45 GWh as of Wednesday (9).