PUCSL Chairman predicts doom unless 33 more coal shiploads received before April

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Sri Lanka had to import 33 more coal shipments before the end of April 2023 to prevent extended power cuts, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Janaka Ratnayake said yesterday.

Ratnayake said two ships carrying coal had arrived and another ship was expected on 07 Nov., and that partial payments had been for the two shipments.

“These five ships are carrying 300,000 tonnes of coal. We have 122,000 tonnes in our stores. If all coal power plants remain operational, we will need 7,500 metric tons of coal a day. By the middle of next month, one plant will be taken offline for routine maintenance,” Ratnayake said.

With the 122,000 tonnes in stores, Sri Lanka had coal to operate all power plants for 15 days. With the 300,000 tonnes in the five ships to be delivered, there would be enough coal until the end of December, he said.

“Each year we need about 38 ships carrying coal to operate our power plants. We are getting five. We need 33 more to come. The problem is due to rough seas; we can only unload coal at the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant until the end of April. Then the seas become too rough for the barges. So, we have about 160 days to stock up on coal. That means a ship carrying coal must arrive once every five days. If we do not get the shipments on time, we might have extended power cuts next year,” he said.