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CEB to bring new plan to meet power demand

14 Feb 2022

 
  • Decision on daily power outages today
  • West Coast Power Plant functioning again
  By Pamodi Waravita  The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is formulating a plan of action on how to meet the national electricity demand over the coming months, and a review of the plan will be carried out with the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) tomorrow (15), where the need for daily power outages, or load shedding, will also be discussed.  “We do not know yet whether we will go for daily power outages. We are compiling a programme on how to meet the demand for electricity – especially considering potential factors like the unavailability of fuel in the near future and the fact that water reserves, used for the generation of hydropower, are declining,” CEB Spokesperson Andrew Navamani told The Morning yesterday (13). A discussion between the PUCSL and the CEB took place last Saturday (12) as well, following which PUCSL Chairman Janaka Rathnayake told the media that details about whether a long-term daily power outage schedule is needed will be announced today (14).  Meanwhile, the West Coast Power Plant (WCP) is functioning again, following an unexpected breakdown last Saturday. The CEB said last Saturday that the WCP had to endure a forced shutdown last Saturday evening due to a cable that tripped. However, yesterday the CEB said that the WCP has resumed electricity generation.  “There is no load shedding requirement for the day (13). But in case of a thermal plant not being available due to fuel restrictions or a breakdown, load shedding may occur,” the CEB said.  Sri Lanka has been suffering from a power shortfall since the beginning of the year, propagated by the breakdown of Unit 3 of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, declining water reserves for the generation of electricity through hydropower, and the shortage of fuel in the country due to the dollar crisis.  Although the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) agreed to supply fuel to the CEB for payment on delivery earlier this month, the CPC has also requested that the Government raise fuel prices.  Meanwhile, the Power Ministry and the CEB are negotiating with private power plants for the purchase of emergency power. A cabinet paper, presented by Power Minister Gamini Lokuge, was turned down by the Cabinet of Ministers, which had advised the Power Ministry to seek agreements for a shorter duration – for the purchase of power only when necessary. It sought approval to purchase emergency power from two private power plants (ACE Power Plant for 100 MW and another ACE Power Plant for 20 MW) – for agreements to be signed for a period of three years.  Lokuge has earlier alleged that “certain parties” wanted the Government to sign private power purchasing agreements, in order to acquire power at a higher cost.


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