CEB to float tenders to purchase 500MW from private sector

The failure to build another power plant envisaged in the long-term generation plan will cost taxpayers as the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is planning to float tenders to purchase another 500 megawatts of electricity from the private sector to meet the surging demand during the first quarter of next year, Daily Mirror learns.

The electricity consumption demand usually peaks between January and April every year. However, the CEB had to shelve its plan to purchase power from two Turkish floating power plants because it was not sanctioned by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka. Therefore, CEB is planning to purchase electricity from the private sector.

Its spokesman Sulakshana Jayawardane told Daily Mirror that tenders would be floated soon for this project. He said documentary work had been done to get Cabinet approval.

Mr. Jayawardane said 300 megawatts of electricity is to be purchased from the private sector would be added to the national grid at the Colombo B-substation and that 100 megawatts of electricity would be added each to substations in Galle and Hambantota.

Sri Lanka’s annual electricity requirement is 15,000-16,000 gigawatt-hours. The daily requirement is 47 gigawatt-hours. Sri Lanka depends on hydro-power for 31 per cent of its electricity requirement and thermal power for 40 per cent. (Kelum Bandara)