The ongoing controversy surrounding the importation of substandard coal to the Lakvijaya (Norochcholai) Coal Power Plant has spiralled into a full-blown national energy crisis, with severe technical disruptions, mounting financial losses, and growing fears of widespread power outages, a former General Manager of the Ceylon Electricity Board has warned.

Speaking with authority shaped by decades of experience, the retired electrical engineer did not mince his words: “This is not a routine operational issue. This is a systemic failure that is now threatening energy security.”

At the heart of the crisis lies the compromised quality of coal supplied to the Lakvijaya plant, the country’s largest coal-fired power station.

According to the former CEB chief, the plant’s generation capacity has dropped sharply due to coal that fails to meet the required Gross Calorific Value (GCV) of 5,900 kcal/kg.

“Generation losses in the range of 80 to nearly 180 megawatts are not minor fluctuations. They represent a serious erosion of base-load capacity at a time when demand is steadily rising,” he said.

The technical consequences have been immediate and severe. Coal mills—critical components in pulverising coal for combustion—have reportedly clogged due to high ash content and poor grindability, particularly in Unit 3.

Engineers have been forced to resort to diesel-fired burner guns to stabilise boiler operations, a move the former GM described as “a costly and inefficient emergency measure.”

“Diesel is not meant to be a fallback for sustained operations. It is a last resort. When you start relying on it regularly, you are effectively admitting that the system is failing,” he added.

Beyond immediate disruptions, the long-term risks to infrastructure are deeply concerning. Substandard coal increases the likelihood of slagging and fouling within boilers, potentially leading to overheating and irreversible damage.

“You are not just losing power generation today—you are shortening the lifespan of multi-billion-rupee assets,” he warned.

The financial fallout has been equally staggering. Internal estimates from the CEB and the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka suggest that losses from multiple coal shipments range between Rs. 7.5 billion and Rs. 8.5 billion.

Compounding the crisis is the cost of replacement power. With the coal plant unable to operate at full capacity, authorities have increasingly turned to diesel-based emergency generation.

“The economics are brutal,” the former GM explained. “A unit of electricity from coal costs roughly Rs. 20 to 25. Diesel generation can go up to Rs. 60 or even Rs. 75. That gap translates into tens of millions of rupees in additional daily expenditure.”

He estimated that the country is incurring an extra burden of over Rs. 50 million per day due to this forced shift—costs that ultimately fall on the public.

Even more troubling, he noted, is that contractual penalties imposed on suppliers are insufficient to offset the losses.

“The recoverable penalties are nowhere near the actual damage. There is a gap of nearly Rs. 2 billion, which means the taxpayer is left footing the bill,” he said.

The environmental implications of the crisis add another layer of urgency. One shipment reportedly contained ash levels as high as 21 percent—almost double the acceptable standard.

“This means thousands of tonnes of additional waste. Where is it going? How is it being managed?” the former GM questioned.

Worse still, when diesel burners are used to stabilise boilers, Electrostatic Precipitators (ESPs)—designed to capture harmful fly ash—must be temporarily shut down. This results in the release of toxic particulates into the atmosphere.

“You are talking about emissions containing mercury, arsenic, and lead. These are not abstract risks. They have direct consequences for public health, particularly for communities living around Norochcholai,” he stressed.

The crisis has also exposed serious lapses in procurement and governance. The former GM pointed to the reduction of procurement timelines from 42 days to just 21 days, as well as the lowering of supplier eligibility thresholds.

“These are not procedural tweaks—they fundamentally alter the integrity of the procurement process,” he said, adding that such changes may have limited competition and allowed less experienced suppliers into the system.

He also raised concerns over reports that coal had been fed directly into boilers before independent quality verification.

“If true, that is a dangerous precedent. Quality assurance exists for a reason. Bypassing it undermines operational safety and accountability,” he noted, while acknowledging the CEB’s position that direct feeding was intended to avoid double handling.

Looking ahead, the timing of the crisis could not be worse. With the southwest monsoon approaching, experts fear that delays in procurement or the rejection of substandard shipments could push fresh imports into a period when rough seas make unloading at Norochcholai extremely difficult.

“If shipments are delayed into the monsoon window, you are staring at a real risk of supply disruptions. That is when load shedding becomes unavoidable,” the former GM warned.

He called for immediate corrective measures, including stricter quality enforcement, transparent procurement practices, and accountability at all levels.

“This is a preventable crisis. But it requires decisive action. Otherwise, we are heading towards a situation where technical failure, financial loss, and environmental damage converge into a national emergency,” he said.

By Ifham Nizam