Power sector regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) and the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) are exploring the possibility of acquiring 300MW of power from privately-owned standby generators to ease the power crisis and stop countrywide power cuts.
PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake told the Sunday Observer that these standby generators can collectively produce about 3000 MW of power. “If we can get at least 300MW from these idling power sources, during the peak time, we can do away with the scheduled power cuts,” he said, adding “We are looking into this possibility.”
The CEB will be asked to pay Rs. 36 per unit for power bought from privately-owned generators.
However, the CEB is not fully in agreement with this decision. It has pointed out practical difficulties in implementing this proposal.
“We can avoid power cuts to the entire country, by removing some consumers with alternative power arrangements for a short time, that is the best option available,” Ratnayake said.
Large scale standby generators are owned by the Shangri La Hotel, Colombo, major garment factories and state institutions such as the University of Colombo, University of Moratuwa and Sri Lanka Telecom.
Due to the shortage of oil to run thermal stations the CEB lost 400MW of power by Friday forcing the PUCSL to announce a near two-hour power cut between 2.30 pm and 10.30 pm in two stages. According to the reason given, the CEB’s stocks of diesel, furnace oil and naphtha had run out by late last week.
On Saturday, the PUCSL said there will not be any scheduled power cuts as the required oil supplies were being received but intermittent power outages due to load shedding can be experienced.
The PUCSL has given approval to two, 300 MW LNG power stations and these are expected to begin operations in another three to five years. Until then the CEB will expedite small scale power projects to minimise the generation gap.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday visited the Sustainable Energy Authority and explored the possibility of getting the contribution of renewable energy sources as a short term solution to the energy crisis.
The current situation has resulted due to the non-commissioning of any major power projects since 2014 to face the 5 percent annual growth in electricity demand