Incomplete power transmission line led to inability to avoid nation-wide blackout

• Transmission line from Kotmale to Biyagama tripped due to a lightning strike, according to the CEB
• Line was carrying about 500MW, while the total country’s demand was around 1500MW
• Tripping of the line resulted in the loss of one-third of the supply

By Kelum Bandara 

The failure to complete the construction of the power transmission line linking Kotmale, Polpitiya, Padukka and Athurugiriya resulted in the inability to avoid an all island blackout, a top engineer said.  

The blackout occurred last Saturday after the transmission line from Kotmale to Biyagama tripped due to a lightning strike, according to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).   

At the time, the line was carrying about 500MW, while the total country’s demand was around 1500MW. The tripping of the line resulted in the loss of one-third of the supply, leading to a severe under frequency below the limits tolerable by the other generators supplying the load. Consequently, these generators also tripped, causing an island-wide blackout.  

A top engineer who wished to remain anonymous since he is not authorized to talk to the press told Daily Mirror another power line to carry electricity generated from the hydropower stations in the central hills was under construction but it could not be completed due to the economic crisis. It is a transmission line from Kotmale to Athurugiriya via Polpitiya and Padukka. He said the Polpitiya-Padukka stretch had been completed.  

“We want to complete work on the Kotmale- Polpitiya stretch in main. Had the project been completed, we could have avoided an all-island blackout,” he said.   

It is a project financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and launched in 2015.