Finance Minister agrees to help CEB ensure uninterrupted power supply soon – Lokuge

By Ifham Nizam

Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle yesterday acceded to a request from Power Minister Gamini Lokuge to provide uninterrupted power to consumers.

Minister Lokuge told The Island that monthly the CEB -Diesel needed 42,000 million litres, Furnace Oil 32,000 million litres and Naptha 28, 000 million litres and oil for Independent Power Plants would be soon directly purchased by the CEB.

Lokuge the government would go all out to provide uninterrupted power supply by next week. “This is a right of the people and as a government we do our utmost to protect it,” the Minister stressed. He also said that at a special meeting with Finance Minister Rajapaksa and Finance Ministry Secretary Attygalle, alternative ways of supplying fuel to the CEB had been discussed. “Wind and Solar would be given top priority,” he added.

The CEB Generation Division yesterday said currently the Sojitz and Uthuru Janani power plants had enough fuel for a few more day.s

Officials yesterday said that to meet the current demand for electricity, some 1,120 metric tonnes of Furnace oil, 950 metric tonnes of Naphtha and 2,640 metric tonnes of Diesel were required.

The Island

learns only some 167 metric tonnes of Furnace oil and 650 metric tonnes of Diesel are available.

There is a shortage of 349 MW for the day peak, 479 MW for the evening peak and 49 MW for night peak.

Plans are underway to shed 100 MW from Kosgama, Seethawaka, Athurugiriya, Kegalle, Thulhiriya, Maliboda, Kurunegala, Pallekele, Kiribathkumbura, Ukuwela, New Galle, Balangoda, Deniyaya, Embilipitiya, Hambanthota, Ratnapura, Matara and Beliatta GSS. (Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Part of the Central, part of the North West and part of the Western provinces).