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Power crisis: German experts coming; short-term solution in two weeks
View(s):German experts are due in Sri Lanka tomorrow to inspect some 30 electrical transformers and recommend ways to prevent countrywide power failures during sudden breakdowns. Their main task would be to inspect the transformers that exploded and caught fire at Biyagama and Kotugoda last Sunday and on Friday resulting in power cuts.
Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya told the Sunday Times that the experts would assess how such isolated incidents were affecting the entire electricity distribution network and find short-term and long-term solutions.
The minister said the prospect of buying electricity from private power producers was also being considered.
“The issue we have now is that the Norochcholai power plant accounts for 1/3 of the electricity supply to the national grid. In the past, power was distributed across the network and we had backup. However, there is no backup power at present if Norochcholai fails,” Mr. Siyambalapitiya said.
According to initial investigations, two parts costing US$ 1.5 million (Rs. 217 million) each need to be replaced in the the Biyagama and Kotugoda transformers, but figures could be higher depending on the reports from the Germany experts.
Meanwhile, the special ministerial committee appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena to probe reasons for the three countrywide power outages over the past six months will submit its report to the President tomorrow.
The committee, headed by Minister Siyambalapitiya, also includes Ministers Champika Ranawaka, Susil Premajayantha and Sagala Ratnayake and deputy ministers Ajith P. Perera and Eran Wickramaratne. As part of the final preparations for this report, the committee is due to hold discussions with Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) officials, engineers and union members today.
On Wednesday, Minister Siyambalapitiya will present the committee’s report to Parliament and outline short- and long-term measures to prevent such power outages. The short-term measures will focus on what needs to be done within two weeks, while the long-term measures will focus on steps to be taken over the next three months and beyond.
CEB Chairman Anura Wijepala said the foreign experts would be from the German company that made the component known as ‘tap changers’ for the transformers. A tap changer regulates the output voltage of a transformer to required levels. The CEB’s initial assessment has revealed that the cause for the explosions in both transformers was the failure of this vital component.
While the explosion at the Biyagama grid substation led to last Sunday’s island-wide blackout, Mr. Wijepala said a major power outage did not occur after the explosion at the Kotugoda substation as measures were immediately taken to reroute the electricity supply from that particular transformer via other supply lines.
The CEB also took measures to disconnect 300 Mega Watts from the Norochcholai power plant from the national grid as a precaution. The CEB Chairman said the affected transformers were about 30 years old, but had a life span of about 40. They had been set up during the time the Victoria Power Station was built.
He also said the CEB was also renovating generators at power plants, including those at Victoria and Samanalawewa.
The minister yesterday also held meetings with the CEB’s trade union leaders, engineers and administrative officers.