News
Restored Kelanitissa power plant shut down again after four days of use
By Shiran Ranasinghe
The Combined Cycle Power Plant at Kelanitissa was closed down again on Thursday night due to a shortage of naphtha.The plant is capable of producing 165 megawatts of electricity a day with naphtha.CEB Technological Engineers’ and Superintendents’ Union President, A.G.U. Nishantha, said that the plant needed10,000 tonnes of naphtha a day but the CEB had only ordered adequate quantities for four days.
“So, we operated the plant for a few days and had to shut it down. Recently we refurbished the plant at a cost of 3.2 million US dollars. Since then we have been able to operate the plant only for four days,” he said.
Nishantha said the plant was shut down for 585 days from October 2019. An audit report found that the country incurred a loss of 21.5 billion rupees as the CEB had to procure electricity from diesel powered plants to bridge the gap.
“The plant was refurbished afterwards. We spent 3.1 million dollars to fix some pieces of equipment. We sent it to a foreign country. But it broke down again the day we used the refurbished equipment. We then brought down some Chinese engineers and paid them 150,000 dollars to fix the machines. After all these costs, we only used the plant for 800 hours in 2022. It costs about 40 rupees to produce electricity from Naphtha,” he said, adding that electricity produced with naphtha cost less than that generated with coal.
Prime Munister Dr Harini Amarasuriya returned to the island this (23rd) morning after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland,
The Sri Lanka Navy successfully conducted a diving operation on 19 Jan 26 to inspect and restore the sluice gate of the Bomburuella Reservoir.
Acting on a request from the Department of Irrigation, the Sri Lanka Navy deployed a specialized diving team from the Western Naval Command, for the urgent requirement.
Through concerted effort, the Navy divers successfully cleared accumulated debris, including a significant quantity of wooden fragments, which had impeded the sluice gate mechanism.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya held a series of high-level bilateral meetings on Wednesday [January 21] on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, engaging with representatives of the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme, and the global private sector.
The Prime Minister met with Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management. During the meeting, she expressed Sri Lanka’s appreciation for the support extended by the European Union and its member states following Cyclone Ditwa. The Prime Minister also briefed the Commissioner on the key findings of the World Bank’s GRADE report and requested continued EU support for Sri Lanka’s development and recovery efforts.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Alexander De Croo, representing the United Nations Development Programme. She expressed appreciation for the longstanding partnership between Sri Lanka and the United Nations and acknowledged the UN’s support in flood relief and livelihood assistance. The Prime Minister noted that, following the mandate received at the parliamentary election, the government is focused on meeting public expectations through national rebuilding grounded in public trust and good governance. She further reaffirmed the Government of Sri Lanka’s commitment to strengthening social protection systems and safeguarding vulnerable communities.
In addition, the Prime Minister met with Robert M. Uggla, Chairman of A.P. Moller Holding. The discussion focused on engagement with the private sector and potential areas of collaboration.
These meetings reflected Sri Lanka’s continued engagement with international partners and global stakeholders to support recovery, development, and long-term economic stability.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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