CEB denies unofficial power cuts, disburses Rs 600 mn to buy emergency power from private sector

By Ifham Nizam

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) and other CEB trade unions yesterday dismissed speculation that they would resort to unofficial load shedding or unofficial power cuts due to the breakdown of the Unit Three of the Norochcholai Power Plant Complex.

Senior Trade Unionist cum Convener of the Lanka Viduli Bala Sevaka Sangamaya, Ranjan Jayalal told The Island that if the Board had such a plan to go for power shedding they would have done it by now.

He said that the CEB had released Rs. 600 million for power purchasing from privately owned companies. “They should have had proper plans than wasting monies at times like this, the Board lacks management skills ,” he added.

A senior Electrical Engineer told The Island the breakdown of the Unit Three of the Plant Complex in Norochcholai 270 MW intake of the 300MW will cost an additional minimum Rs. 20 a unit due to thermal power generation.

He added: “It will cost the CEB Rs. 96 million extra a day, while the Norochcholai machine is out of order.”

CEBEU Vice President Dhanushka Parakramasinghe also dismissed rumours on power shedding adding now the Board is getting165MW from Naphtha and the balance from diesel.

He added that the broken down plant is in the cooling process for a couple of days and the repair work will commence shortly and it will be back in operation by March 27.

He also said that the scheduled annual maintenance of the plant is unlikely to take place in April as planned earlier due to shortage of resources.

CEB Chairman Nalinda Illangakoon also assured that there won’t be any power cuts due to the breakdown of the Norochcholai Power Plant.

Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said that CEB-owned Diesel and furnace oil run power plants will be utilised to ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity until the said Unit is reconnected to the national grid.