Power cuts till the first week of March, PUCL okays CEB request

One hour daytime cuts, 45 minute peak hour blackouts

by Ifham Nizam

The CEB Friday branded the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation’s demand to clear a debt of Rs. 64 billion remaining in its books to continue fuel supplies as “unreasonable” with senior engineers saying that load shedding and power cuts are inevitable till the first week of March.

They said the Kelanitissa Power Plant had to shut off 365 MW from the national grid due to non-availability of fuel.

Electricity regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL)Thursday endorsed CEB requests for routine power cut that it had long resisted. The Sunday Island learns that that a one-hour power cut will be imposed between 2:30 p m and 6:30 p m under four separate groups.

According to senior officials the length of the power cut may be extended due to the tricky fuel situation. In addition to the daytime cuts, a 45-minute power cut will be imposed during the peak hours between 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM as well. Meanwhile, PUCSL has pointed out that CEB and Lanka Electricity Company (LECO) have lost around Rs 50 billion due to bill payment delays of consumers.

CEB Finance Manager T K Liyanage said unpaid electricity bills are running at Rs. 43 billion with the bulk of the dues owed by private consumers. The amount owed by state institutions were not significant, he added. He also said that with the recent payment of Rs. 22 billion, CEB’s debt to CPC was down to Rs. 64 billion. Apart from that, Rs. 55 billion was owing to Independent Power Producers and Rs. 141 billion to State Banks.

PUCSL has ordered both CEB and LECO to urge consumers to settle their bills including the February bill within a three-month period. PUCSL Chief Janaka Ratnayake said that they have instructed the CEB to surcharge delayed bill payments. Meanwhile, National Employees Union of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) says that distribution of fuel has been restricted until the prices are increased.

The union’s Chairman Ananda Palitha says thatfilling station owners have complained that petrol stocks are inaccessible when diesel stocks are available or vice versa. Both petrol and diesel are unavailable at times. Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila assured that there is no shortage of fuel in the country at present.

The CPC is in possession of adequate stocks, he added. He says the country is currently facing a serious challenge in finding foreign exchange required for purchasing fuel with nearly two-thirds of Sri Lanka’s export earnings spent on fuel purchases.