• Says authorities yet to get final info about calorific value 
• Estimates 6 days to unload 60,000 MT of coal 

The Energy Ministry on Friday (29) downplayed new allegations about receiving substandard coal in the face of renewed scrutiny over its emergency coal procurement processes following claims that recent shipments from Taranjot Resources had failed crucial quality tests. 

Reports recently circulated that multiple shipments from the supplier fell below the required gross calorific value during laboratory testing, raising fears of further power generation issues. 

However, Ministry of Energy Secretary Russel Aponsu denied these claims, highlighting the current status of the deliveries and addressing the technical parameters of the imported coal. 

“We have only finished unloading the first three shipments from Taranjot and they were all up to the required standard. The fourth shipment is currently being unloaded, and according to the load port reports, there is no issue. While the ash content is close to the upper limit, it remains below the maximum threshold,” he said.

“We do have a different sample that exceeded the ash level, which is the specific issue currently being discussed in the media. I cannot confirm its calorific value yet because the unloading process only started today and we have not received the final information. No one is feeding it into the plant yet, so we cannot make a definitive statement without properly utilising it.” 

He further explained that calorific value and ash content were distinct measurements that did not necessarily correlate in the manner suggested by critics. “They are different metrics. If the ash content is high, for example, 16% in a 100 kg batch, it means you can only use 84 kg to generate energy because you cannot burn ash. 

“However, this does not mean that when you burn it, you will not achieve the required calorific value. Therefore, arguments suggesting the coal has a lower calorific value simply due to high ash content are completely inaccurate,” Aponsu claimed.

Regarding the delivery schedule, the Secretary noted that the fifth shipment had already arrived and was awaiting processing. “It takes a normal duration of about 5–6 days for unloading. If the sea is rough, the work cannot be done. Recently, the sea was calm and the workers managed to unload 13,000 MT in a single day, which is our absolute maximum capacity. On average, they unload 10,000 MT per day. Since the ship contains roughly 60,000 MT, it typically takes about six days to complete the process,” Aponsu noted. 

The procurement process has drawn significant public interest, particularly following a special audit report that exposed major lapses in previous coal purchases for the 2025 and 2026 season. 

Recent updates from the audit highlighted a 40-day procurement lapse that necessitated these emergency purchases and noted significant recoverable losses from previous suppliers. Such administrative controversies have historically led to calls for judicial review, similar to past instances where Fundamental Rights petitions and court cases were filed by stakeholders to challenge the transparency of State energy tenders. 

When asked if Taranjot Resources had a questionable history of supplying substandard coal, the Secretary dismissed the notion.

“This is an emergency purchase. I do not think it has a questionable history, as this is the first time Taranjot has supplied coal to us. The ministry did not receive these laboratory reports initially because we are not the procurement entity. The Lanka Coal Company handles all the documents and sends samples to the laboratories. Its job is to receive the coal and supply it to the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant,” he said.