PUCSL warns that SL could face the prospect of power-cuts

Says hydro dispatch levels should be kept below 6 GWH per day

Even with the availability of thermal power plants, the contribution of about 500 MW of hydro-power contribution is essential to meet the peak hour demand

this situation continues hydro reservoirs will not be able to cope with the demands till April 2017.

Due to a reduction in Furnace Oil production from the Sapugaskanda Refinery, the daily full load requirement of Asia Power, Sapugaskanda, ACE Power Embilipitiya, Uthuru Janani & Barge power plants, in total cannot be fully met. Hence, depending on the suitability of imported furnace oil, daily about 50 MW-80 MW of furnace oil generation will be at risk.

During the first week of December, generation was curtailed at the West Coast power plant due to lack of suitable fuel (low Sulphur furnace oil). However, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has received a consignment of fuel on December 7 and two more consignments of oil are due in December. Hence the shortage will not continue after December.

The National power regulator, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) yesterday sounded alarm bells warning that Sri Lanka was in imminent danger of the imposition of power cuts unless the daily hydro dispatch levels are kept below 6 GWH per day as an average, as there will be no rainfall until the end of April next year.

Commenting on the power reserves available for the December – April period, the PUCSL said maintaining hydro power consumption at manageable levels would ensure the availability of hydro power until the end of April, the PUCSL stressed.

“Even with the availability of thermal power plants, the contribution of about 500 MW of hydro-power contribution is essential to meet the peak hour demand. Hence, it is necessary to minimize the hydro dispatch during day and off peak times,” the PUCSL said.

Under these conditions, if the system loses more than about 330 MW thermal on a weekday, energy requirements will be inadequate and the CEB will have no option but to impose power cuts. Hence, in case of a failure of all 3 coal plants, energy inadequacy will be about 5 Gwh/day and equal to 13% of daily energy requirement- 40 GWH.

However, due to curtailed oil generation during the first week of December, the average hydro-power dispatch had exceeded 6 Gwh/day. If