24 January 2022 10:05 pm Views - 2304
No matter how much fuel we get, in another two or three months, the water level in the reservoirs continue to drop drastically. Therefore, we will have to go for a power cuts, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Engineers' Union said.
Addressing the media, CEBEU President Saumya Kumarawadu said that hydro power plants currently generate 20% of the total power. "A few months ago, hydro power generation was at 70%. Later dropped to 60%, then 50%, and now stands at 37%, a few days ago.
"The power generation will drop by up to 5% in the next two months due to lack of rainfall in the hydro catchment areas," Mr. Kumarawadu said.
According to the meteorology department, the country will have rain after May this year. Therefore, we have to go for power cuts no matter how much fuel we have, he said.
“We are in a critical situation because the government did not build any power stations after 2014. If the controversial Sampur coal power plant project, funded by India, had not been cancelled in 2015, 500 MW of power would have been added to the national grid easily by 2020. The previous government should be responsible for that failure,” Mr Kumarawadu said.
He said if we have 500MW of electricity generation from the Sampur coal power plant, we have no need of power cuts, even if we do not have the required furnace oil for the Kelanitissa Combined Cycle Power Plant Project, he said. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)