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Power cuts averted with timely furnace oil and diesel supplies

21 Jan 2022

 
  • CPC gives 500 MT of furnace oil to Sapugaskanda, part of 10,000 MT of diesel to Kelanitissa
  • Sapugaskanda stocks sufficient till today
  BY Pamodi Waravita The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said yesterday (20) that since it has received 500 metric tonnes (MT) of furnace oil from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) for the Sapugaskanda Power Plant, which is sufficient for the latter to continue operations till today (21), whilst part of the 10,000 MT of diesel promised to the Kelanitissa Power Plant from the CPC were also delivered, power cuts were thwarted for the most part yesterday. Although the Sapugaskanda Power Station was completely shut down on Tuesday (18) evening, the CEB received 900 MT of furnace oil in the eleventh hour to keep it running through the night, which proved sufficient to prevent an emergency power outage at the time. Although a CEB spokesperson told The Morning that the 900 MT of furnace oil at the Sapugaskanda Power Station will only last until yesterday, it is learnt that another 500 MT of furnace oil was released by the CPC yesterday, thus ensuring the operations at Sapugaskanda until today. The Kelanitissa Power Plant was shut down on Wednesday (19) morning. However, following the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) releasing US dollars to release two fuel ships at the Colombo Port on Wednesday, Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said that 10,000 MT of diesel will be released to the Kelanitissa Power Plant, of which a certain amount was delivered yesterday, with continuous deliveries on the way. Short power outages have been reported from various parts of the island so far during the course of this week. The CEB released a power cut schedule on 10 January night, in case of necessary power outages, which had divided the country into four groups. Between the times of 5.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m., one-hour power outages have been scheduled for each of these areas from Monday to Saturday. Sunday is not included in the schedule. The power crisis has been ongoing for the past month, with Power Minister Lokuge and Gammanpila attempting to prioritise fuel for their respective power and energy sectors. Last week, Gammanpila said that the CPC needs 30 days’ notice to supply fuel, and that the CEB’s sudden requests are difficult to fulfil. However, Lokuge told the media that the CEB makes an annual order for fuel, and that the CPC should have planned accordingly. Although the CEB attempted to procure fuel from the Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC), the LIOC too said that it will be impossible at the moment to honour the request, as they too have difficulties in opening letters of credit (LCs). Gammanpila said this week that the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, which is currently facing a breakdown, will only be operational again tomorrow (22) or 24 January, the latest. “Thereafter, this situation will ease up,” he assured.


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