Sri Lanka hopes to fix coal plant in three days: power ministry

Tue, 18 June 2013 13:33:08

24 Jul, 2012 13:55:38

July 23, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's state-run Ceylon Electricity Board is expecting to repair a coal power plant in three days which can spell an end to electricity rationing which started Tuesday, the power ministry said.

Engineers had discovered a rupture in a steam tube heat at a exchanging device in the coal plant's boiler, the power ministry said in a statement.

The 300 MegaWatt coal plant generates about 20 percent of the daily demand of energy of about 30 GigaWatt hours (millions of units).

The base load Chinese built plant was expected to have 80 percent plant factor, but has been cutting out intermittently.

On Sunday and Monday, the CEB provided power running down its remaining hydro reserves to about 24 percent, amid one of the driest years in a decade.

Hydro plants are needed to maintain a night peak.

The CEB started three hour power cuts from today, ending more than 10 years of power supply with no official rationing.

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READER COMMENT(S)

7. householder Jul 26

Industries,offices and all businesses should pay a higher rate and all residents should get cheaper electricity.

6. TT Jul 25

We want justice for our tax money being busted on a junk power plant!

5. Rajive de Silva Jul 25

The only way to avoid a power crisis in the future is to amend the CEB Act to allow private power producers to retail power in competition with the CEB. Allow private sector to participate in power retailing and the market would take care of the supply side.

4. concerned Jul 25

Perhaps we should send our generator fuel bills, to the minster and head of the CEB or deduct them from the next electric bill, which by the way is the most expensive in Asia!

3. Rajive de Silva Jul 25

Hope this is also not another promise like what the minister made few days ago saying that there will not be power cuts.

I would be very skeptical in believing this.

2. kawdaboy Jul 25

Chinese company that built Norochcholai power plant pay compensation for lost revenue to CEB. This is not the first time and won't be the last.

1. Perera Jul 24

Its rather a sad state of news but this is inevitable when its installed by the Chinese. There products of low end quality and breakdown is the usual. Hope this wont happen with their locomotives and machinery or even the bridges and roads.

Standard maybe met or altered with inferior substandard products and raw materials.