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CEB’s tardiness to avert power crisis generates angry rebuke from Ministry
View(s):By Sandun Jayawardana
Power and Renewable Energy Ministry has expressed dissatisfaction with the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) over the latter’s slow progress in taking immediate measures to avert an anticipated power crisis in 2018. The sentiments were conveyed in a strongly worded letter sent by the Ministry secretary, Dr. B.M.S. Batagoda to CEB Chairman Anura Wijepala and General Manager Yamuna Samarasinghe this week.
The letter, seen by the Sunday Times, is a follow-up to another letter sent on July 29 instructing the CEB to take immediate measures to avert the anticipated power shortage. The two most urgent power plants needed to meet the possible electricity shortage – the 300 megawatt (MW) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) combined cycle plant in Kerawalapitiya and the 170 MW barge mounted dual fuel plant at Hambantota Port, are already five months behind schedule. Construction of an LNG terminal has also been delayed by nearly five months, while a move to purchase 50 mobile power generation units has been on hold for more than two months, the Sunday Times learns.
The situation is precarious given that the country’s annual power demand is set to increase by at least 4-5 percent during the next few years. The Government estimates, that by 2018, the CEB would need at least 600MW of additional power.
The Government had earlier directed the CEB to procure the Kerawalapitiya and Hambantota plants on a priority basis. On June 3, two separate Technical Evaluation Committees (TECs) were appointed for the projects. At a meeting with members of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) on June 8, officials from the CEB and the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy had agreed to float tenders for the two plants by July 15. The CEB’s work schedule notes that the commissioning dates of the Hambantota and Kerawalapitiya plants are April, 2017 and October, 2018 respectively. However, tenders are yet to be called for either.
In this week’s letter, the Ministry Secretary observes that it seems the CEB staff and the CEB Board “have not still understood the gravity of the problem.”
Dr. Batagoda has also drawn attention to continuing issues with the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai. Problems in the CEB’s transmission system have still not been properly diagnosed and solutions for the frequent shutting down of the Lakvijaya plant and the time delay it takes to restart it are yet to be found, he points out.
“The Government has given priority for transmission development, power generation and distribution and given enough funding requested by the CEB. Therefore, the CEB and the Ministry have no excuse if HE the President, Hon. Prime Minister or the General Public point finger at us for not doing enough to avoid power crisis,” the letter adds.
Dr. Batagoda confirmed that he had sent a letter this week to the CEB in order to push the Board into taking immediate action. He stressed that he believes the CEB is staffed by good and efficient people, but opined the institution itself seemed to be bogged down by procedural delays. “We are still confident we can change that,” he added.