Power crisis deepens as Norochcholai shutdown extends blackouts

Tuesday, 11 February 2025 02:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Norochcholai coal power plant remains offline till Friday, delaying full grid restoration
Rolling power cuts continue, causing frustration and raising concerns over grid stability
CEB schedules power cuts
for four groups, with
1.5-hour outages between 3:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
PUCSL questions legitimacy of power cuts, stating it only approved scheduled cuts for two days
No clear explanation for six-hour blackout on Sunday
SMEs demand compensation for losses or bill deductions due to Sunday’s outage
Electricity user groups and trade unions allege it may be another CEB attempt resisting renewable energy adoption

The country’s fragile electricity grid remains under stain following the countrywide blackout on Sunday, with the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) confirming that the troubled Norochcholai coal power plan will not be reconnected to the grid till Friday (14).

Till then, it announced that rolling power cuts will persist, exacerbating frustration among electricity users and raising concerns over the stability of the country’s energy supply.

The CEB has implemented a scheduled power management plan under four listed groups, where they will experience power cuts of one and a half hours between 3:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. amid the temporary loss of Norochcholai’s capacity.

However, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has cast doubt on the legitimacy of these cuts, stating that it has only approved the blackouts for yesterday and it is yet to receive a formal request for power interruptions beyond that.

The electricity regulator opined that there are discrepancies in the areas and durations of the scheduled power cuts submitted by the CEB.

Despite this, the CEB noted that Wednesday offers brief respite as the Poya holiday is expected to reduce electricity demand, allowing authorities to suspend power cuts for the day.

The authorities failed to provide detailed reasons for the six-hour blackout on Sunday and its economic impact.

Separately, SMEs urged the Government to either give compensation for the economic loss during Sunday’s power outage or deduct it from the monthly bill.

Meanwhile, electricity user groups argued how the CEB failed to stop the cascading power outages and called for a proper investigation of the issue.

Some trade unions suspect this was another sabotage effort by the CEB to prevent the country moving into solar power and other renewable energy sources, as the Energy Ministry on Sunday requested solar power users to disconnect their system from the national grid till 4 p.m. amid efforts to restore power.

The country’s power sector has long been criticised for mismanagement, lack of investment in renewable energy, and inefficient regulatory oversight.

The latest outage reignited concerns over the country’s over-reliance on the Norochcholai plant, which generates 900 MWs. The blackout on Sunday left millions of households, industries, and SMEs vulnerable.

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