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PUCSL claims no more outages as Norochcholai Unit Three operational 

03 Feb 2022

 
  • Gammanpila promises week’s fuel to CEB
  • Public hearing on 3 December 2021 blackout and Norochcholai breakdown on 3 March  
  • 120 MW Kelanitissa Sojitz to become operational today eve
  BY Pamodi Waravita The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) said yesterday (2) that since Unit Three of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant is operational again, the supply of electricity will not be affected, and that Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila has agreed to provide a week’s supply of fuel to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). “Unit Three of Norochcholai, which malfunctioned again on 1 February, is back up and all 300 megawatts (MW) of its capacity has been added to the national power grid. Gammanpila also agreed to provide a week’s worth of fuel to the CEB, whilst the power shedding (short power outages) that the CEB conducted on 1 February has led to us being able to manage the demand for electricity. We hope that the situation on 1 February will not be repeated this month, especially with the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A/L) examination starting next week,” PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake told the media yesterday. The 300 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. It faced another breakdown on 1 February, following which power cuts were reported across the island. Although a report about the initial breakdown is expected this month, The Morning learnt yesterday that the CEB has not yet received this report. Ratnayake said that a public hearing on the 3 December 2021 blackout, which led to the breakdown of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, taking it out of commission for nearly two months, will be held on 3 March 2022. Accusations have earlier been levelled against the CEB Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) for deliberately causing the blackout on 3 December 2021. The power crisis has been ongoing for the past month, with Power Minister Gamini Lokuge and Gammanpila attempting to prioritise fuel for their respective power and energy sectors. “After this week’s fuel is given to the CEB, the latter has agreed to pay cash on delivery for future fuel stocks from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC). The CEB also owes over Rs. 90 billion to the CPC for previous purchases, from which Rs. 20 billion will be paid within the next two or three days,” assured Ratnayake. The privately run Kelanitissa Sojitz Power Plant was shut down last week for necessary repairs, depriving the national grid of 120 MW. However, Ratnayake said that Sojitz will become operational again today (3) evening. The CEB said yesterday that both the Sapugaskanda “A” Power Plant and the Sapugaskanda “B” Power Plant received 300 metric tonnes (MT) of fuel yesterday. However, as of last evening, the Kelanitissa Power Station was yet to receive the necessary diesel stocks. Meanwhile, the PUCSL has proposed that idle backup generators which belong to the private sector and state institutions be utilised for power generation. “About 50 MW were to be added to the national grid from a select few generators yesterday between the peak 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. hours, at no cost to the CEB, as a first step,” said Ratnayake. He added that discussions are ongoing with the Condominium Management Authority to utilise generators belonging to condominiums, noting that air conditioners are used in almost every household in high rise condominiums in the city. As a solution to the power crisis, the purchase of emergency power from privately run power plants was proposed to the Cabinet of Ministers this week. However, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed Lokuge to renegotiate the duration of the private power purchasing agreements to be signed between the two parties, with the power stations keen on signing for three years. Although a policy decision has been reached to go for emergency power purchases, the terms of the duration are to be renegotiated. Official sources told The Morning yesterday that the CEB received this cabinet decision only yesterday, requesting it to “get the best possible deal”.  Electricity Users’ Association Convener Sanjeewa Dhammika claimed this week that two private power purchasing agreements are due to be approved by the Cabinet – one for 100 MW from the Ace Embilipitiya Power Plant and the other for 20 MW from the Ace Matara Power Plant. “The agreements are to be signed for three years although that much is not needed. The estimated loss due to this is Rs. 5 billion. This is a complete mafia that is serving a purposefully created power shortage and crisis,” Dhammika claimed. Last week, Lokuge also alleged that “certain parties” wanted the Government to sign private power purchasing agreements, in order to acquire power at a high cost.


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