Emergency power purchase the answer, but private power suppliers too handicapped by shortage of fuel

By Ifham Nizam

Plans are afoot to go for 300MW of emergency power purchases shortly, but some engineers say that most of the privately owned plants are without sufficient fuel stocks.

They said they were not for power purchases, but the CEB had no other way of meeting the impending power shortfall.

Energy Consultant Kanga Gnana said that one option was to accelerate the setting up of solar and wind power projects on an urgent project completion basis.

Gnana, who was formerly serving the CEB top management, stressed that Mannar Wind and Solar power project together with the Pooneryn projects should be commissioned on a priority basis to generate power to meet the shortfall.

“Conserve Energy and continue to issue LED lamps urgently. In case of a drought, plan rotational power cuts as usual. Every consumer must be made to reduce consumption by 50%. Promote rooftop Solar together with floating and agrivoltaic solar projects,” he added.

According to Energy Expert Dr. Vidura Ralapanawa, 38 coal shipments were needed. However, the country had dollars only for 17.

The Treasury needd USD 215 million for 21 more shipments, he said.

Coal had to be unloaded between 01 Feb and 15 April at the rate of two ships per week before rough seas set in. Coal cannot be unloaded thereafter.

It is understood that currently the CEB does not have furnace oil to run either the Barge Power Plant or the Sapugaskanda plant – cheapest oil powered plants belonging to the CEB.

Dr. Ralapanawa said that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation had a contract with the West Coast power plant, and the Sojitz plant as running on diesel. The Kelanitissa plant could run on diesel or Naphtha.

With the Sapugaskanda refinery not functioning, there will not be furnace oil available and the CEB will have to import it through the CPC.

Ralapanawa also pointed out as the barge-mounted power plant, the Sapugaskanda plant and one coal plant were not functioning, the water levels of reservoirs were receding fast despite rains.