Planned delays by CEB?

A recent report in The Island says the CEB has admitted that the Mannar Wind Power Farm is not fully connected to the grid.

This alarming news item says that the CEB engineers failed to supply the much-needed 100Mw from the Mannar Wind Power Farm to the national grid, and were delaying other projects that are in the pipe-line, in order to go for expensive emergency power purchase.

When the existing Wind Power Plants could supply 100Mw, the present supply is 20-30 Mw, a waste 70-80 Mw daily, mainly due to the failure of the CEB to have the transmission constructed in time to connect the grid. I leave it to energy experts to calculate the financial loss to the CEB. In this exposure, the Chairman, CEB, Vijitha Herath, lamentably states that the CEB did the utmost to expedite the connection by March, but due to technical difficulties it could not be done, but will have it done by April. The CEB. as well as the PUCSL, seem to be complacent, saying the hydro reservoirs remain at a satisfactory level. My poor understanding is, any planner, plans to face any eventuality and does not bank on uncertain vagaries of nature; the PUCSL, too, seems to agree with the CEB. As it is well known, even an illiterate, ignorant farmer keeps a stock of grains to face an unexpected dry season, or crop failure.

Whatever it be, let me, in my innocence, pose a simple example. When constructing a house to live in, the first concern is the approach road to the site and when the construction of the house is completed, and it is ready for occupation. There appears to be some truth in what the President of the CEB Technological Engineers’ and Superintendents’ A.G.U. Nishantha says that projects are being delayed and cheap power plants are being sidelined, which will invariably mean going in for power purchase from the private sector. This scandalous situation should be investigated and measures taken to avoid recurrences.

Having said that, I now turn to the construction of the LNG plant at Kerawalapitiya, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa a week or two back, after settling a very unpleasant, obnoxious situation, causing a delay of over four years, where the offer of a tender was delayed due to the Ministry for Power and Energy, interfering in the award, resulting in the aggrieved party seeking legal remedy. Here again the construction of a terminal has not been undertaken and when the construction of the LNG plant is completed, the plant will stay idle till the terminal is completed. It is very uncharitable for me to think this is purposely done to create a crisis, avoid tender procedure, and offer it to a favoured country, or company, as an emergency matter.

G.A.D.SIRIMAL

Boralesgamuwa