News
CEB gets permission to purchase 100MW from private power producers
By Saman Indrajith
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) on Thursday (17) granted approval for purchasing 100MW of electricity from the private sector on a short-term basis.The approval of PUCSL has been granted to the transmission licensee under section 43(4)(c)(ii) of Sri Lanka Electricity Act No.20 of 2009 (as amended).
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) asked permissino for purchasing 100MW for the southern province for six months.The PUCSL allowed the CEB to purchase emergency power from 18 August 2023, subject to the following conditions.
1. The adding generation capacity shall operate on merit order basis and transmission licensee shall demonstrate that the power plants operated on merit order through an independent dispatch audit at the end of Power Purchase Agreement period.
2. The Kotmale – New Polpitiya 220kV line shall be energized before 31 August 2024.
3. The procurement of above supplementary power shall be done on the least cost basis.
PUCSL has considered the following in arriving at the decision:
1. Cabinet of Ministers has authorized the release of water from Samanalawewa Power Plant for irrigation purposes and to procure 100MW of supplementary power by 15 August 2023, for a period of four to six months to avoid planned power shedding at the Cabinet meeting held on 07 August 2023.
2. According to information from the Meteorological Department, significant rainfall can be expected only from mid -October 2023.
3. The release of water for agricultural purposes from Samanalawewa has begun on 08 August 2023 and the storage level of the Samanalawewa Reservoir has been recorded as 2.6GWh (1.9%) as at 06.00hrs on 17th August 2023, which will be totally depleted on 23rd August 2023 losing a generation capacity of 120MW to the southern part of the grid.
4. Energizing of New Polpitiya – Hambantota 220kV transmission line has not totally resolved the capacity shortage in the southern part of the grid as Kotmale – New Polpitiya 220kV line which is designed to bring the generation of the Mahaweli Complex and connect the 220kV network to the southern part of the grid is still not available.
5. The generation of the Laxapana Complex can only be utilized to compensate for the unavailability of generation from Samanalawewa Power Plant. However, there is a requirement of continuous release of water from Laxapana complex in order to maintain minimum requirement for drinking water supply to Colombo until next inter monsoon. Therefore, Laxapana Complex cannot be utilized to fully compensate for the unavailability of Samanalawewa Power Plant.
6. The water storage as at 17th August 2023 is 27.9%.
7. Adding supplementary power could help to reduce the hydro dispatch during the course of the year and facilitate the building of sufficient hydro storage (at least 800GWh) as an initial storage on 1 January 2024.
8. The expected date of energizing the New Polpitiya – Hambantota transmission line shall be 20 August 2023
9. The Unit 2 of Lakvijaya Power Station has already recommenced operation after repairs and unit 3 of Lakvijaya plant is expected to be operational by 06 November 2023.
10. The Results of the load flow studies (including line loads and busbar voltages in the southern part of the grid during day peak and night peak).
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
