- Cabinet approval secured in 2022
- Emergency power agreements with Ace Power Embilipitiya and Matara expire in Feb.
- Technical hurdles result in abandoning previous EOIs
The State-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is set to float a new tender to procure nearly 150 MW of supplementary power to address the expected deficit during the upcoming dry season, starting from the end of March.
As reliably learnt by The Sunday Morning, discussions are underway to initiate a new tender instead of finalising a supplier under the previously-floated tender last year.
Despite receiving Expressions of Interest (EOIs), there had been several issues in finalising them due to technical challenges.
One of the EOIs includes a barge-mounted power plant, as learnt by The Sunday Morning.
Cabinet approval for acquiring this supplementary power had been secured in 2022. However, the urgency for emergency power had caused a shift in priorities, leading to the delay in procurement.
In response to immediate electricity supply gaps, the CEB obtained 120 MW of emergency power from Ace Power Embilipitiya (100 MW) and Matara (20 MW).
The urgency arose from the depletion of the Samanalawewa Reservoir, linked to the dried-up Udawalawe Reservoir, necessitating Cabinet approval to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the Southern Province.
Despite the already-procured emergency power agreements expected to expire by the end of next month, the board is yet to decide on whether to extend agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) currently providing emergency power.
As previously reported by The Sunday Morning, EOIs for supplementary power procurement were called on 7 September 2022.
A letter dated 25 October 2022 by CEB Chairman N.S. Ilangakoon to CEB General Manager Eng. Dr. D.C.R. Abeysekera stated that there was a total capacity shortage of approximately 100-120 MW for the first half of 2023.
CEB Spokesman Deputy General Manager Noel Priyantha, when contacted, admitted that there would be a deficit of around 150 MW in April if there were no rains.
“As of now, we have hydropower, but precautions are being taken to avoid any power cuts during the dry season,” he said.