PUCSL says critical to ensure coal supply to keep lights on

• Says authorities have thus far failed to release funds to clear coal consignments 

The prevailing power crisis could aggravate in five months if authorities fail to release required funds to clear the coal consignments which are waiting to be cleared, as any delays could create a disastrous scenario in respect of the country’s power generation with endless power cuts for longer periods, according to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) Chairman Janaka Ratnayake. 

Sri Lanka’s energy mix comprises predominantly of thermal, coal and hydro in the order of power generation at present with very little coming from a mix of non-conventional renewable energy sources. 

However, Sri Lanka went ahead and became a signatory to the COP 26 Climate Summit goals last November, pledging to phase down coal power generation and become a net zero carbon emitter from 2050, when it could not even power the nation continuously for 24 hours.

“ We are unable to produce hydro power due to lack of water, we are also unable to produce thermal power due to lack of oil, and what is remaining is coal power and in that too we haven’t still received funds for the final seven consignments,” Ratnayake said.

“Unless we receive the funds, we could face a much more dangerous and a worrying situation in five months because we can’t unload coal during the rainy season,” he said while urging authorities to find dollars to release these consignments immediately to avoid a catastrophic event. 

Ratnayake said the current power crisis is a result of authorities and other relevant parties shirking their responsibility to put up alternative energy power plants in line with the country’s rising power demand. 

He said things would turn to worse unless the authorities make it an utmost priority to set up new and alternative energy power plants within the next two to three years.

Coal is the most economical among the existing alternative energy sources, and environmental activists and fake nationalists were successful in sabotaging a 500 MW coal power plant in Sampur.