PB applies breaks on increasing CEB overdraft already at staggering Rs 28 billion

Power cuts extended to seven hours

By Ifham Nizam

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) says that the People’s Bank has declined to provide it funds and that would lead to more stumbling blocks to clear while also extending power cuts.

However, a CEB top management official said following discussions with Power Minister Pavithra Wanniarchchi, the matter was supposed to have been cleared by the Bank Monday evening.

The overdraft of Rs, 12 billion had jumped to Rs. 28 billion and the Bank officials had instructed the CEB management that they had to withhold any further increases.

However, CEB spokesman Andrew Navamani told The Island that it would not have a direct impact with the 200MW Emergency Power Purchases which is in the pipeline after the Cabinet endorsed it.

Power sector regulator, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) yesterday said that many areas countrywide would experience a seven-hour power outage today.

Meanwhile, another official said that despite going for emergency power from Independent Power Producers, power shedding would go on for long periods.

Some engineers say the power cuts will go on for more than a year while others say it will go on for more than seven months.

“The situation at Samanala Wewa will be disastrous if rains fail to come as expected by May, Then the Southern part of the country will experience a total blackout”, a senior engineer said.

“We are having a shortage of between 400MW and 500MW daily,” a top official said, adding bridging it is not easy though coal stocks are available for the moment, new shipments had to be brought down before the rough seas set in for the year”.

PUCSL said that it had approved the request made by the CEB to increase the power cut duration for today (29), due to the unavailability of fuel for the generation of 300MW of thermal capacity.

Accordingly, the areas listed under the Groups P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W will experience power cuts of 05 hours (daytime) between 8.30am and 6.30pm and 02 hours and 15 minutes (nighttime) between 6.30pm and 11.00pm.

Meanwhile the areas under the Groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L will be imposed power cuts of 05 hours (daytime) between 8.00am and 6.00pm and 02 hours and 30 minutes (nighttime) between 6.00pm and 11.00pm.