Coal crisis: Middle East crisis adds fuel to fire

A dozen of shipments that ran into controversy over their inferior quality (low calorific value ) has been delivered 

By Kelum Bandara   

The widening conflict in the Gulf which is having multiple impacts on Sri Lanka is now hampering the delivery of coal shipments required for power generation at the moment, an official said yesterday.   

The Sri Lankan authorities have placed orders for the delivery of 25 shipments of coal for the generation of power at the Norochcholai Lakvijaya plant. A dozen of shipments that ran into controversy over their inferior quality (low calorific value ) has been delivered .   

An official who is familiar with the process told Daily Mirror that the supplier had asked for additional time for the completion of delivery of shipments because of disruption to global navigation after the Middle East crisis erupted.   

“They had anyway sought the original timeline extended. With the eruption of war, naval movements have been disturbed. Citing it, the supplier has asked for even more time till May 10, 2026 to finish the task,” he said.   

Sri Lanka’s current coal crisis now revolves mainly around controversy over the quality and procurement of coal used at the Lakvijaya Power Station, the country’s largest coal-fired power plant. The plant has an installed capacity of about 900 MW and supplies a major share of the national electricity demand.   

The latest crisis emerged in late 2025 and early 2026 after several coal shipments imported under a long-term tender were alleged to be of inferior quality.