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Power cuts following Norochcholai Unit 3 halt 

02 Feb 2022

  • Unit 3 operation halted to replace pressure regulating valve in sealing oil pressure line
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said yesterday (1) that Unit Three of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant was stopped yesterday, following which power cuts were reported from a number of areas around the country. “Unit Three has been stopped in order to replace the pressure regulating valve in the sealing oil pressure line,” a CEB spokesperson told The Morning yesterday. The 300 megawatts (MW) of the Norochcholai Power Plant’s Unit Three were added to the national power grid on 31 January, following over a month of not conducting its operations. It faced a breakdown during the first week of December 2021, leading the CEB to rely on its hydropower reserves and expensive furnace and diesel stocks to run fuel-powered power plants. Following this, Sri Lanka has been grappling with a fuel crisis this month, amidst the ongoing US dollar crisis. A report about the breakdown is expected this month. However, The Morning’s multiple queries from the CEB regarding a rough time period for when Unit Three will be operational again were not answered. On 31 January, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) said that the demand for electricity can be “managed” this month, and that therefore, power cuts are not necessary. However, The Morning’s attempts to contact PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake yesterday, following the shutdown of Unit Three of the Norochcholai Power Plant and the consequent power cuts, proved futile. Although the PUCSL has reportedly assured even yesterday that there is no need to impose scheduled power cuts, a number of areas in the country reported short power outages. As of last morning, the Kelanitissa Power Station and the Kelanitissa Combined Cycle Power Plant had enough fuel to run for one day and nine hours. A total of 300 metric tonnes (MT) of fuel was transferred to the Sapugaskanda B Power Plant yesterday whilst fuel bunkering began last evening at the Barge Mounted Power Plant. The power crisis has been ongoing for the past month, with Power Minister Gamini Lokuge and Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila attempting to prioritise fuel for their respective power and energy sectors. On 31 January, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the purchase of 40,000 MT of diesel from the Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC), whilst discussions are also being held to purchase 40,000 MT of petrol from the LIOC. 


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