Current was suspended because ....

The Norochchole Power-plant has not been established in a manner that it totally suits the electricity supply of this country and that if it fails to function, a power-cut has to be effected, Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, Mr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said yesterday (23) in parliament. He also made a special statement about
islandwide electricity breakdowns several times saying that because the Norochchole Power-plant became inactive when changes occured in the electrical system. The Minister explained that in such circumstances it was not possible to reactivate the power-plant until the temperature of the machines decreased for 3 - 4 days thus with a possibility of a shortage of electricity taking place in the island. The Minister also mentioned that the reason for the all-island electricity shortage last February 25th in the evening was lightning striking the Polpitiya - Kolonnawa 132 kilowatt transmitter or because of some other cause. The Minister said that as a result of that incident the transmitting route has become suspended with the network of lines being earthed and that the capacity of electricity that was being generated at that time and that other network of lines was not able to bear that volume which ultimately resulted in all power-plants being disconnected in the process. 

He said that once a single network of lines of a transmitter goes out of operation it is unusual for the entire system to breakdown and when a study in that connection was underway, at 2.20 in the afternoon of March 13th the electricity supply once again had stopped functioning. He said that the reason for that was that a part of a Biyagama 132 kilowatt transformer had burst and had caught fire and that transmitting lines around the area had thus become alienated from the system as a result. He also mentioned that it was an unusual situation that it took 8 hours to bring the power system back to its former state. 

Minister Siyambalapitiya explained that as it was imperative that water had to be preserved in hydro-electric power stations in view of the prevalent drought conditions, production of hydro-electricity was limited and that because it took 3 - 4 days to reactivate the Norochchole Power-plant, there would be a shortage of power supply and that thus it was necessary to resort to a power-cut. 

Prior to this an all-island breakdown of electricity occured in the month of October 2009, the Minister recalled, and said that it was necessary to search with great responsibility as to whether the maintenance aspect of the electricity system had been properly carried out. 

The Minister finally said that three private electricity power-plants which have completed their agreement period would be purchased in future and that they would be operated as additional power-plants and that if the dry weather continues further, a capacity of emergency electricity power-plants of 100 megawatts would be purchased under the lease system under transparent manner for emergency reasons.

The Minister who further said that three gas turbine electricity power-plants each of a capacity of 35 megawatts would be installed within the next 12 months added that a power-plant operated by natural gas in association with Hambanthota and Galle Harbour would be installed. 

The Minister went on to say that a ministerial sub-committee would be appointed to speed up operations of Sampur Coal Power-plant and that solar-power and 12 solar power-plant based parks would be installed islandwide in addition to introducing water meters for the benefit of 10 lakhs families and that a 1000 megawatt generator would be established. 

Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya also said with responsibility that there is no idea of bringing the Electricity Board or a part of it under privatization or had entertained pre-plans either about such a thing.

Ajith Alahakoon -- Kushan Subasingha