Stop Go Status Of Power Plants On Basis Of Fuel Availability!
The 300 MW West Coast Power Plant at Kerawalapitiya stopped operating on February 3 as it ran out of fuel, however they had 1,500 tonnes of bonded fuel belonging to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), but could not make use of it without approval, a senior official of the plant said.
Responding to The Earthlanka, he said they could not use that fuel without the approval of the CPC. But by now they had continuous supply of fuel stocks amounting to 4,000 tonnes and that was adequate for two to three days. “There is continuous supply from our refineries after Ministry of Power and Energy intervened,” he said .The private combined cycle generator was shut down for lack of fuel on February 3, leading to 2.0 to 2.5 hour power cuts in most parts of the country. He also said that they owed CPC 12.7 billion and the CEB owed the West Coast Plant Rs. 27 billion. It is reliably understood that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) owed CPC Rs. 37 billion, of which West Coast Power Plant accounted for Rs. 12.7 billion, ACE Matara about five billion rupees and rest by mini hydros and wind plants.
The private combined cycle generator, was shut down for lack of fuel on Monday, leading to 2.0 to 2.5 hour power cuts in most parts of the country. State Minister of Power and Energy Mahindananda Aluthgamage however stressed that “President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said that there should be no power cuts.”
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