Norochcholai plant to get emergency power system

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to implement a new integrated electricity supply system at the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant, aimed at preventing power failures during nationwide blackouts.   

Currently, the power plant lacks a reliable internal electricity supply to safely shut down operations during island-wide power outages. This affects the functioning of the coolant system and boiler catchment hydro supply, often forcing a complete shutdown of the plant for 4 to 5 days. Such interruptions result in significant financial losses.  

To address this, a technical committee recommended introducing a continuously operating, integrated electricity supply system that can be implemented swiftly. The proposal, submitted by the Minister of Energy, was approved by the Cabinet and will be executed using funds from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).   

This upgrade is expected to improve the resilience of the plant and minimize operational disruptions in future power crises.