Energy officials in Colombo yesterday (14) expressed confidence in keeping the Lakvijaya Power Plant fed with a supply of coal, despite recent complications involving a shipment of substandard coal from South Africa.
According to them, emergency procurement measures have been initiated to ensure that the national grid continues to receive baseload power from the facility without interruption.
The Norochcholai plant is the country’s only coal-fired power station and a critical component of Sri Lanka’s electricity generation mix. Any disruption to its fuel supply could significantly affect national power generation.
According to Deputy Minister of Energy Arkam Ilyas, the power station remains operational and steps have been taken to secure suitable coal supplies. He noted that all three generation units were functional at present, although one unit had experienced minor operational fluctuations.
The need for emergency procurement arose after concerns were raised about the quality of coal delivered under the 2025–2026 long-term supply contract managed by the Lanka Coal Company (LCC). The contracted supplier was scheduled to deliver shipments of South African coal, but operational data from the power plant and preliminary testing indicated that the initial deliveries contained lower-than-required calorific values and higher ash content.
Authorities said that rejecting substandard shipments and enforcing contractual standards was necessary to protect the plant’s infrastructure and maintain stable electricity generation.
Explaining the measures taken to address the procurement issue, Ilyas said the Government had already initiated contingency procedures.
“We have called for an emergency tender to address the coal requirements, and a dedicated committee has been formed to evaluate it. We cannot assume in advance that the existing supplier will fail to meet the requirements. However, if the supplier fails to meet the contractual standards, we will follow the terms and conditions of the agreement, which include imposing penalties or suspending the supplier. If we receive substandard material, the responsibility lies with the supplier for failing to provide the quality specified in the contract,” he said.
When asked whether delays in procurement could result in the power plant running out of fuel, the Deputy Minister rejected the possibility of a shutdown, stating that authorities were closely managing available stock levels.
“The coal will not run out. We are moving ahead with emergency tenders to secure additional supplies. We do not anticipate any disruption to operations,” he told The Sunday Morning.
Maintaining uninterrupted operations at the Norochcholai plant is critical not only for energy security but also for controlling electricity generation costs. The facility provides a substantial share of the country’s baseload power and replacing that output with alternative thermal generation, such as diesel or furnace oil, would significantly increase generation costs.
Higher production costs would ultimately place pressure on electricity tariffs, making the procurement of reliable, specification-compliant coal at competitive prices an important financial priority for the State.
Ilyas said that incoming shipments secured through the emergency procurement process would undergo strict quality verification before being accepted for use, adding that the evaluation committee would oversee testing and compliance checks to ensure that all coal supplied to the plant met the required technical standards, allowing the facility to continue operating reliably in the coming months.
– By Faizer Shaheid