Union blames Chinese firm for power plant failure

Reuters: A 300-megawatt Chinese-built power plant in Sri Lanka failed for a fourth time since its commissioning in March, in what a trade union on Tuesday said was either sabotage or continuing negligence by the operator.

The failure at the Norocholai coal power plant will force a two-week shutdown that will cost the state-run electricity board at least 168 million rupees ($ 1.47 million) to meet the lost supply.

“All these breakdowns are happening either due to the negligence or intentionally by the Chinese just to extend their maintenance contract,” CEB’s Technological Engineers Union Joint Secretary U.R.K Senaratne told Reuters. China Machinery and Enginering Corporation (CMEC) built the plant, the first phase of which joined the grid in March. It is also constructing a second phase to bring the plant’s production capacity up to 900 MW, at a total cost of $ 1.3 billion funded by China’s Exim Bank.

The CMEC’s project director, Lnong Ludong, was on leave and could not be reached for comment by Reuters.

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said he was investigating. “I was not informed of any such sabotage. But I have called for reports from two parties including the project manager and am now studying what measures to take to prevent frequent breakdowns,” Ranawaka told Reuters.