CEB implements long-term measures to strengthen grid stability

18 February 2025 12:44 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 14 Bookmark

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Colombo, Feb 18 (Daily Mirror) - The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) acknowledged the recent island-wide power failure, explaining that the high penetration of non-synchronous solar PV reduced grid inertia, increasing its vulnerability to faults. This imbalance between generation and demand led to cascading disconnections, which ultimately resulted in a total power outage.

While issuing a media release, CEB media spokesman Eng. M.H. Dhammike Wimalaratne highlighted that the cause of the power failure due to a system-wide failure was triggered by a disturbance at the 33kV Panadura Grid Substation, leading to a sudden voltage drop across the network.

He said the CEB assures the public that immediate and long-term corrective actions are underway to prevent future occurrences. The isandwide power failure occurred on February 9 at 11:13 AM.

"At the time of the incident, over 50% of the national electricity demand was met by 800 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation, with additional supply from the Lakvijaya Power Plant at Norochcholai (470 MW) and hydropower plants (130 MW). Due to the high penetration of non-synchronous solar PV generation, the grid had a low system inertia, making it vulnerable to faults. The disturbance resulted in an imbalance between generation and demand, leading to cascading disconnections and a total power failure.

"The High Solar PV Penetration & Low Inertia - a lack of synchronous generation, made the grid more vulnerable to voltage and frequency disturbances. A sharp voltage drop caused multiple solar PV systems to disconnect, worsening the imbalance and further destabilising the grid," the spokesman said.

They further said that the Norochcholai Power Plant tripping was an automatic protective response by this plant to the system instability, and not due to an internal plant failure. The measure prevented catastrophic damage to the power plant and prolonged outages.

Additionally, the outage was influenced by the "Sunny Sunday" effect—a condition where low weekend demand combined with high generation from solar PV creates grid instability. With most industrial and commercial customers offline, the grid was operating with reduced demand and reduced inertia, making it more susceptible to sudden disturbances.

Therefore, the CEB has taken immediate corrective actions as follows to implement urgent measures to stabilise the national grid and prevent similar failures:
* Maintaining more synchronous generators at minimum generation and operating selected gas turbines in synchronous condenser mode at key locations to enhance grid stability and voltage support.
* Curtailing ground-mounted solar PV generation (only when necessary) during low-demand periods to mitigate instability risks.
Medium-Term Strategies

To further strengthen grid reliability, the CEB is in the process of implementing the following measures, which will be accelerated:
* Adjusting rooftop solar PV inverter settings to prevent unnecessary disconnections during minor disturbances/faults, ensuring grid resilience.
* Introducing special industrial tariffs for weekends and holidays to encourage industries to shift operations to low-demand periods, thereby assisting grid stability.
* Promoting solar installations with appropriate BESS capacities over solar PV installations without BESS and to introduce a tariff for the Solar PV customers with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and the relevant hardware
Long-Term Grid Stability Solutions
CEB is committed to long-term investments to modernise the national power grid to integrate more renewable energy while maintaining stability.

These include:
* Deploying grid-forming inverters with BESS to provide synthetic inertia and frequency stabilization.
* Installing emergency backup generators at Norochcholai Power Plant to ensure rapid reconnection and continued operation of critical systems in case of future disconnections.
* Accelerating the Maha Oya Pumped Hydro Project (Water Battery) – a 600 MW storage facility that will enhance grid flexibility and energy security.
* Advancing Smart Grid investments to improve real-time monitoring and control of renewable energy integration.

The CEB is commitment to a reliable power supply and acknowledges the inconvenience caused to the public and remains fully committed to ensuring a resilient, reliable, and future-ready electricity grid. As Sri Lanka continues to transition towards a renewable energy-driven power system, the CEB is proactively implementing both immediate and long-term solutions to strengthen grid stability, added the media release.

Comments - 14

ISureshP Tuesday, 18 February 2025 01:52 PM

If there is too much power generated, please do not cut off solar generation. Reduce other sources that uses non-renewable energy.

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Where is the "monkey"? Tuesday, 18 February 2025 02:42 PM

Hey, Minister, what about your claim that a "monkey" was the cause of the power failure? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Are you an engineer or a pseudo-engineer?

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Sokrates Tuesday, 18 February 2025 04:46 PM

It's a good thing that I never connected my rooftop solar power station with BESS to the National Grid. With my back-up generator I am independent of the crappy power grid.

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Dilakshan Seneviratne Tuesday, 18 February 2025 05:37 PM

This is a diversion tactic. All these things mentioned would not have come into play if the protection system had worked properly. What about the blackouts in Nov and Dec 2021, Sep 2015 and Oct 2009, which were also due to protection system failures? Media should be following up on these until something is done about this. Don’t buy crap served on a platter and then wait for the next blackout, which is inevitable. Or concerned people should take CEB to court and let the judiciary investigate. Let’s see how the new government handles this and hope they don’t eat this crap as well?

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Dr Tissa Fernando Tuesday, 18 February 2025 11:10 PM

At last Dilkushani's brain is opening up a little. There is a little bit of frustration towards the current government in his comment. Please open your brain , don't let them wash it.

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Dilakshan Seneviratne Wednesday, 19 February 2025 01:15 PM

@DrTissaFernando I am hoping the Government opens their eyes widely about the CEB. After Jan 23 blackouts Kanchana sacked CEB engineers who were responsible. Country can’t be allowed to be held to ransom by incompetence, lethargy or vindictiveness. That’s why strong management is required. Can you see that from the current Minister downwards?

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munas samsudeen Tuesday, 18 February 2025 06:29 PM

The answer is in the second paragraph . Quote "the cause of the power failure due to a system-wide failure was triggered by a disturbance at the 33kV Panadura Grid Substation, leading to a sudden voltage drop across the network. Please read and understand any news item before start commenting.

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Dr Tissa Fernando Tuesday, 18 February 2025 06:40 PM

They want to curtail solar power generation in order to make money for the private diesel power plant operators. Where is NPP's 2/3 power to increase solar which is in abundance. We could generate most of our electricity needs using solar power but CEB does not want it. What un unfortunate situation which NPP cannot also rectify.

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Dilakshan Seneviratne Wednesday, 19 February 2025 03:58 AM

Solar on the system has to be managed with other conventional sources. That is being done. But attributing the blackout to solar is wrong. New government is adding more solar, that’s good. They have to make policy decisions taking control and keep the CEB engineers in their place. In hindsight the previous minister appears to have done a much better job at that. Let’s give the new lot a bit of time but they have started very poorly on the CEB front.

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navratne willamune Tuesday, 18 February 2025 06:53 PM

CEB engineers should seek foreign expertise help if they can't do the job. you have to Swallow your pride. dont make the public suffer un necessarily

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Dilakshan Seneviratne Wednesday, 19 February 2025 04:11 AM

I’m sure the competency is there but there seem to be managerial issues. Foreign, private sector or SL expatriate expertise is required for top management positions to drive change. Even corporate, commercial and HR divisions in CEB are headed by engineers. So how can one expect an efficient business? They have their own ways, don’t care what about benchmarking is, and have been tolerated by successive governments. Result - People suffer.

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navratne willamune Tuesday, 18 February 2025 06:55 PM

If the CEB engineers cant do the job foreign expertise should be brought in

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Kush Wednesday, 19 February 2025 05:53 AM

Well written technical explanation of the events. No refernece to the monkey which was taken out of context by the media. Lesson for the Minister to take a pause and understand the facts before going in front of the media. Maintaining grid stability requires a lot of careful planning, regulation and smart dispatching. Sri Lanka continues to lose good engineers so lets not point fingers at the ones that are serving the country. They are just as important as the doctors and lawyers because without power nothing will work. Solar generation curtailment happens everywhere, to maintain stability, so dont think this is a deliberate attempt at curtailing solar to make way for diesel. That will be super dissapointing from multiple perspectives. What CEB needs to do urgently is take stock of all residentail solar and then find a way to bring about regulation. Then there has to be system studies done to understand implications of large solar farms at various grid exit/inject substations.

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S P Wednesday, 19 February 2025 06:44 AM

To me this incident and the aftermath look more like a media disaster than a technical one. The minister should not have uttered those silly words on ‘monkeys’ in the first place. We expect more demure and maturity from government ministers. To their credit the CEB engineers managed to restore the power system on the same day and incredibly went on to stop the rolling short duration blackouts within the next few days. Sounds like the CEB ‘technical’ management is on the right track for short and medium term solutions too. The call for ‘foreign expertise’ is premature because to an experienced power systems engineer the problem and the solutions offered are not rocket science. I still remember that bright young engineer who went on the ‘Ara Pasbara’ show and his was the very first sane words I heard when this blackout occurred. Credit to that popular show that presents serious issues with a lot of humour and fun. Well done Ara and Pasbara!

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