CEB engineers warn of power cuts up to 5 hours

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) has warned that the CEB could be forced to implement power cuts up to five hours per day over the next 2-3 months with the current power crisis intensifying due to inaction by the top CEB management.

Addressing a media briefing held in Battaramulla last Saturday, CEBEU President Saumya Kumarawadu claimed that CEB Chairman M.M.C. Ferdinando, and former General Manager M.R. Ranatunga—who retired on 13th of this month— failed to find solutions to the power crisis unveiling now despite repeated warnings of CEB Engineers over the past couple of months.

According to CEBEU, the current power generation capacity has come down to 2, 650MW, while the maximum electricity demand remains at 2, 630MW. Hence, a smaller breakout could force CEB to implement power cuts in order to maintain the stability of the country’s power supply, the engineers pointed out.

The fuel shortage, lack of winds and the ongoing drought were cited as the main reasons for crisis with no major power plants projects being implemented over the past several years except for handful of renewable power generation projects. 

In particular, Kumarawadu pointed out that key thermal power plants (Kelanitissa and Sapugaskanda) are operating with disruptions due to fuel shortages with uncertainty of future operations as the top CEB management has failed to secure the required furnace oil and diesel.

Due to the prevailing foreign exchange crunch, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation had asked the CEB to secure their own letter of credit facilities to finance fuel purchases. 

In addition, Kumarawadu   noted that the country’s wind power generation has fallen to 10 percent of the capacity due to less frequent winds.

Further, the hydro power generation is also falling with water levels of key water reservoirs falling to alarming levels due to the ongoing drought, which is expected to prevail at least until April.

He stressed that CEB Chairman and former CEB GM as well as the Power Ministry should take the blame for the current crisis as they were distracted by the sale of Yugadanavi power plant to the U.S.-based New Fortress Energy Company despite repeated requests from CEB engineers on a looming power crisis months ago.

Therefore, Kumarawadu predicted that CEB would be forced to implement power cuts up to five hours per day from 11 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. over next 2-3 months.

Meanwhile, CEBEU has launched trade union actions against the appointment of a new GM on a temporary basis violating over half a century old traditions of the CEB.