There could be power cuts even from today: CEB

Power cuts might be experienced in several areas in the country today due to the dearth of furnace oil to generate electricity, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Chairman said.

He told the Daily Mirror that the shutting down of the refinery and the delay in  receiving crude oil, the CPC is unable to supply the required furnace oil for power generation.

Meanwhile, power supply to several areas, including Colombo, was disrupted  sporadically last night due to a breakdown at a generator at the Kelanitissa power plant.

The thermal power station at Sapugaskanda Power Station and the barge-mounted power plant at Colombo Port did not receive the required furnace oil for generating power.

We have received fuel which is sufficient to run the machines for electricity generation for six days, he said.

At the onset of the dry season, a capacity of 2,600 MW power is required to meet the national demand, he said.

"Owing to the delay in getting the required furnace oil and not being able to meet the power demand, several areas in the country might experience power cuts for about 30 minutes, the chairman said. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)