CEB moves fast to meet demand due to record heat, drought:

Power buffer stock to be doubled

Consumption up 30% last three months:

By Chandani Jayatilleke and Rukshana Rizwie

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is moving quickly to double the national buffer stock of electricity to 4,600 Mw from 2,300 Mw to provide uninterrupted supply even if there is a failure in the major power generation stations. The present buffer stock is 2,300 Mw, but the recent demand surpassed it to 3,900 Mw. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has directed the Ceylon Electricity Board to call for proposals for the supply of electricity on a short term basis through an International Competitive Bidding (ICB) process.

“We need to build the capacity and immediately we will purchase 55 Mw of emergency power for three months through a tender process,” Dr. Suren Batagoda, Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy told the Sunday Observer.

He said it is essential to reassure people and the investors that there are no sudden, abrupt power cuts in the future until the hydro power plants are in full operation. “The demand for power is expected to grow further in April and May, due to New Year celebrations and Vesak festival,” he added.

Dr. Batagoda said the demand for electricity grew unusually over the first three months of the year. The demand grew by almost 30%, due to extremely warm weather and the drought. For the last 10 years power planners had expected the electricity demand to grow by 7 to 8 percent. However, the actual demand growth was about 4-5 percent, lower than the projected growth.

Adding to the unusual demand was the rapidly dropping water levels of the hydro power plants. “At the same time we had to stop generating power through hydro because the remaining water had to be stored for agricultural purposes.

We did not want to use the water in the Mahaveli complex. If the drought continued it would have affected the Yala season badly,” he added.

While the water in the Rantambé , Randenigala and Upper Kotmalé plants was stored for agricultural purposes, Moussekelle and Laxapana were closed as those are the two main feeding reservoirs of the Ambatale water purifying plant. Ambatalé is the main source of drinking water in Colombo.

Also the power plants in Embilipitiya (100 Mw), Puttalam (100 Mw) and Matara (25 Mw) will be re-opened soon. “We also want to generate 125 Mw of power at the Kerawalapitiya plant,” said Dr. Batagoda.

The power sector has also become a major attraction among local and foreign investors. The Power & Energy Ministry has received thousands of proposals from investors who are keen to set up coal, gas, wind, solar, hydro power generation plants in the island, he added.

Meanwhile, the CEB and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) last Friday signed a technical cooperation agreement to formulate an electricity sector masterplan to forecast demand and supply and the introduction of new forms of energy over the next 25 years.

Kiyoshi Amada, Chief Representative of JICA Sri Lanka Office told the Sunday Observer: “The project will anticipate new technical challenges which the CEB, as the implementing organization, may face by 2040, such as expansion of non-conventional renewable energy sources, private sector participation, pumped storage power plants, optimal operation of coal thermal power plants, railway electrification and, utilization of local gas and LNG,” Amada said.

The Prime Minister submitted a cabinet paper on Wednesday which proposed a process for the CEB to purchase power on a short term basis under a dated Power Purchase Agreement. The procurement is being made by the Standing Cabinet-Appointed Procurement Committee on behalf of the CEB.

“We are looking at an aggregate capacity of 55 Megawatts in three different locations. Ideally 20 Mw to connect to the Habarana Grid and another 20 Mw for the Hambantota Grid,” CEB spokesperson Sulakshana Jayawardena told the Sunday Observer.