News
N’cholai first coal power plant to be restored soon
By Ifham Nizam
The first Unit of the LakVijaya Coal Power Plant Complex, in Norochcholai, will be back in operation during the weekend after repairs, a senior electrical engineer of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said yesterday.
The plant’s first unit developed technical hiccups on 15 August, forcing the CEB to depend more on hydroelectricity and extend the duration of power cuts to overcome the loss of nearly 300MW from Norochcholai.
“We have identified the problem and we would connect it to the national grid by next week; a trial run would take place during the weekend, the engineer said, adding that the existing coal stocks would be sufficient till the end of October.
Meanwhile, the second unit at Norochcholai, which was earlier shut down for annual maintenance would be back in operation in November. The scheduled maintenance was delayed due to foreign technical experts undergoing quarantine.