• Yet to appoint comm. on 9 Dec. power failure  

Following media reports circulating about another possible islandwide blackout due to the non-completion of certain transmission lines, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) assured a continuous islandwide power supply without any obstruction.

Several media reports, quoting undisclosed sources within the CEB, have claimed the possibility of another islandwide blackout, allegedly due to several power transmission lines which carry electricity generated from hydropower stations in the upcountry areas not being completed. It was reported that a transmission line starting from the central hills is yet to be completed as a result of the ongoing economic crisis and that the delay of such could result in another islandwide blackout in the future.

However, speaking to The Daily Morning on 17 December, the CEB spokesperson, engineer Noel Priyantha said that no such ongoing constructions will cause another blackout since the CEB is monitoring those transmission lines properly and since no pending constructions or repairs would have an impact on the country’s electricity generation at this moment. He further said that the CEB has already repaired the transmission line which caused an islandwide blackout earlier this month (December) and that the said line is now functioning smoothly without any obstruction.

However, when he was queried by The Daily Morning about the status of ongoing investigations into the recent islandwide blackout, he said that the CEB is yet to appoint the relevant committee. However, he said that the CEB is referring to the records of similar events that took place in the past and the history and other details of the particular transmission line at present.

The most recent blackout occurred earlier this month (9 December) after the transmission line from Kotmale to Biyagama tripped due to a lightning strike, according to the CEB. According to reports, at the time, the line was carrying about 500 megawatts (MW), while the country’s total demand was around 1,500 MW. The tripping of the line resulted in the loss of one-third of the supply, leading to a severe under-frequency, below the limits tolerable by other generators supplying the load. Consequently, these generators also tripped, causing an islandwide blackout.

Ministry of Power and Energy Secretary M.P.D.U.K. Mapa Pathirana was not reachable when he was contacted to obtain the Ministry’s opinion in this regard.