Hydro resource to generate 800 GW/h in reservoirs: CEB Head

When compared with the past five years, the hydro capacity of the reservoirs is sufficient to generate a total Gigawatt Hours (GWh) of 800, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Chairman Vijitha Herath said.

He told the Daily Mirror that a total requirement of 45 GWh is being generated daily for the country's needs. 10 GWh out of the total requirement generated by the hydro power plants, he said.

However, there would be an issue if the country does not receive the South-West monsoonal rains at the correct time, as we received the north-east monsoon a bit later, Mr. Herath said.

He said the country receives the South-West monsoonal rains between May and September and North-East monsoon between December  and February every year.

"Unless there was an unexpected major power breakdown at any power plant or failure to receive the monsoonal rains, would lead the CEB to purchase electricity from small power producers (SPPs)," he said.

However, it has been decided not to interrupt power supply, even during the prevailing drought, Mr. Herath added. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)