CEB has spent Rs. 52 b on emergency power from 2016

Thursday, 10 October 2019 02:42 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Officials tell COPE total costs during past 4 years over Rs. 52 b
Delay in Kerawalapitiya power generation contributing factor

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has spent over Rs. 52 billion on emergency power purchases from 2016 until now, its officials told the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) this week.

Emergency power purchases cost the CEB Rs. 8.56 billion in 2016, Rs. 19.4 billion in 2017 and Rs. 11.58 billion in 2018. In the first seven months of this year, a massive sum of Rs. 12.67 billion was also spent on power purchases, the official told COPE.

COPE members questioned CEB officials on the reason for the high rate of emergency purchases of power and the delay in power generation from the 300 MW power plant project in Kerawalapitiya.

Members of the Board of the CEB told COPE that they had to opt for emergency power purchasing because they did not get the expected power generation from the Sampur and Norochcholai power plants while the delay in the construction of the Kerawalapitiya power plant too contributed to the shortage in power generation.

It was also revealed that 50 diesel power generators had been imported at a cost of Rs. 3 billion. They had generated power for 39,000 hours and had been non-operational owing to breakdowns for 73,398 hours from January to July this year.

It was revealed that four electricity units were generated from a diesel litre. The CEB Board said that all 50 diesel generators were now operational.

COPE Chairman JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti and its members MP Lakshman Seneviratne and Minister Ajith P. Perera were present at the CEB hearings on Tuesday.