Assurances by Power Minister, PUCSL fall flat

Power cuts even in Lokuge’s electorate!

By Ifham Nizam

Despite repeated assurances by Power Minister Gamini Lokuge, a number of areas countywide including his own electorate––Kesbewa––experienced power cuts yesterday.

Electricity regulator, the Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) too assured there wouldn’t be power shedding till 04 Feb.

Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Additional General Manager cum Media Spokesman Andrew Nawamani told The Island yesterday that a number of power plants were not functioning due to the prevailing fuel shortage.

“The fuel situation is terrible,” he stressed, adding that one of the generators (300MW) at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, which was reconnected to the grid on Monday, had failed again.

He also said that the 60 MW Colombo Port barge mounted power plant and one of the power stations at the Sapugaskanda power complex were not generating electricity at present.

The remaining stocks of diesel and other fuel would be sufficient for another day and a half, Nawamani said.

PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said that the demand for electricity could be managed during the month of February.

On Monday, he said the proposal made by the CEB for a power interruption would not be allowed until 04 February. The CEB said that there was a need for power interruption from 25 January to 04 February.

The PUCSL Chief added: “We review the generation capacity of the power plants and the availability of fuel on a daily basis. Based on the results of those reviews we have decided that there is no need for power interruption. About 31 billion rupees loss would have been caused to the economy if the proposed power interruption had been allowed, he said.

Meanwhile, at an event held yesterday, Minister Lokuge said: “I am the Minister of Power. This government has been elected not to cut power. Some people dream of power cuts. No power plant or project has been added to the national grid since 2015. We have recently completed the Broadlands Hydro Power Project, which will supply 32 MW to the national grid.”