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Last Updated : 2024-04-24 21:45:00
When the lights went out on March 31 many Sri Lankans would hardly have been surprised. Rationing of electricity has grown commonplace in recent years, particularly since March of this year, when a foreign currency shortage produced a fuel crisis and reservoir levels fell owing to dry weather.
The Government has offered a variety of explanations for the blackouts, ranging from dollar shortage to COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the pandemic interrupted economies of many countries. However, evidence shows that Sri Lanka’s power problem is the result of more than a decade of corruption and inept power system management.
Analysts anticipate that a global shift to renewables such as solar and wind will support developing countries to strengthen their economies. Alternative energy has a low environmental impact as well. The Paris Agreement, a binding pact that requires states to make specific pledges to reduce climate change, has been signed by nearly 200 countries, including Sri Lanka. Where is Sri Lanka’s renewable energy during a power crisis like this?
Delays in implementing already planned and approved projects are stifling Sri Lanka’s renewable energy capacity growth, jeopardizing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s so-called aim of 70% renewable energy by 2030. He said he will urge the state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) to draft a long-term generation plan in accordance with the ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour.’ The strategic plan was formulated. But, what really happened to the plan? Why wasn’t it put into action?
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) compiled an explanation report in the third week of March that detailed everything that went wrong in the country’s renewable energy sector. The Daily Mirror was able to obtain a copy of the report, and as part of our mission to educate the public with their right to accurate information, we have included passages from it below.
The report signed by Janaka Ratnayake, Chairman of the PUCSL was sent to the Assistant Auditor General S. T. B. Ratnayake on March 18 in response to a letter sent by the Auditor General’s Department on March 14. Copies of this report have also been sent to Ministry of Economic Policies and Plan Implementation.
The tender dates for the plants, as well as the period during which the plants shall commence operations, are shown below.
Given below is the list of powerplants scheduled to be built from 2018 to 2022 according to the plan.
1. 500 MW natural gas power plant project – Japan
2. 500 MW natural gas power plant project – India
3. 400 MW natural gas power plant project - China
Only the following three powerplants were tendered from the approved thermal powerplants for the period from 2014 to 2022.
2018-2037 Generation Expansion Plan approved by the PUCSL recommended to increase the contribution of renewable energy to 60% by 2030. A goal to complete 1000MW solar power projects by 2020 was identified under Soorya Bala Sangramaya project (Battle for Solar Energy).
Emergency power purchases: Plaster for the deep wound
The CEB has made 17 requests to the PUCSL during the period from 2017 to 2022 to purchase emergency power and 16 of them were declined by the Commission.
One of the main reasons for opting for emergency power purchases, on the below mentioned dates, according to the CEB, is that it would provide solutions to issues in the Southern Province grid.
1. May 2, 2016
2. April 1, 2016
3. April 4, 2018
4. April 5, 2018
5. September 28, 2018
6. March 4, 2021
7. March 9. 2022
Construction delays of transmision network
Constructing the following transmission cables planned to strengthen the power supply network in the Southern Province was delayed for more than five years.
Increasing power cost
Thermal power plant costs has been rapidly increasing over time, surpassing the costs of renewable energy power plants. The current cost of each power plant is listed below.
What needs to be done? |
Attempts to enhance power capacity in accordance with policies and plans have failed for years. This predicament has arisen as a result of the CEB’s current structure’s flaws and issues. The CEB, which was created under the Ceylon Electricity Board Act No 17 of 1969, currently holds a monopoly on 70% of electricity generation, 85% of distribution, and 85% of power transmission.
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1. Establishing financially independent business units/ institutes for the licenses issued to the CEB to generate, transmitand distribute.
2. Appointing chief executive officers in charge of these independent business divisions’ aims, including earnings.
3. Establishing necessary business units/institutes for each licensee and transferring power plant procurement and electrical system management responsibilities.
4. Independently managing the financial sources regarding agreements to purchase, transmit and sell power.
5. Prohibiting officers of three upper management levels of the CEB becoming trade union members to prevent trade unions manipulating the CEB management.
6. Establishing separate business units/ institutes to purchase power and to control systems.
Retired Engineer Thursday, 07 April 2022 08:31 AM
In Sri Lanka electricity demand is high in the night when solar power plants can't produce any electricity. Also the windmills will produce electricity only when there is wind. In order use solar and wind energy smoothly during night either pump hydro or battery storage systems are required. Both these storage systems are expensive to build and when you add capital cost components of these storage systems to electricity prices, cost of renewables will be comparable with cost of thermal electricity.
Maduruwa Thursday, 07 April 2022 10:56 AM
What happens if we save our hydro electricity for the night and use Thermal also when there is no sun and the wind? Use thermal as back up. You do not have to pump water up in a country full of agriculture and rivers.
Ahmed Haniffa Thursday, 07 April 2022 11:22 AM
You store energy to use at night. Most have surplus energy if the renewable power plant are sited in the correct place
Katugampola Thursday, 07 April 2022 08:56 AM
Renewables is the perfect climate for corruption. Corruption is one of the biggest threats to renewable energy and an obstacle to the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. After decades of benefitting from the lucrative oil, fossil fuel companies and governments of producer countries are now hampering efforts to move away from fossil fuels.
Retired Engineer Thursday, 07 April 2022 01:45 PM
Maduruwa, due to uncertain nature of solar and wind power generation, it is necessary to run the hydro or thermal power plants together with solar / wind generators to take up the base loads. Ahmed, you could store energy in batteries to use it in the night and battery storage can be done at home solar systems and commercial solar power generation plants.
Y.Narasimha Reddy Thursday, 07 April 2022 04:34 PM
This explains clearly how foolish Sri Lankans destroyed them selves. They are not trying for self reliance and want to import everything. Once I have heard that a cement plant supposed to run nonstop for better efficiency stops for weekend as all staff want to enjoy Colombo. No where in world such callous attitude prevails. Net result Lankans have become beggars and almost all of poor African countries are much better than Sri Lanka
Love Lana Thursday, 07 April 2022 05:51 PM
Please educate general public. CEB is the largest scam! Engineers never want to approve any project as they will not get there kickbacks from Diesel Generator power producers. Also there are 25,000 employees for 2500 MW s of power. FIRE ALL ENGNEERS/ CROOKS from CEB.
Julampitiye Amaraya Thursday, 07 April 2022 10:04 PM
Most of the engineers are against renewable power productions. As most of them are corrupt and expecta and accept bribes. Some Unions are also supporting them. Engulfed with Political and Professional Mafia!!!
Kumar Thursday, 07 April 2022 10:18 PM
In this write up thermal power is listed as renewable energy, which is not correct. Any plant with a boiler has to run baseload. So, what happened to the combined cycle plant. Running gas turbines without capturing waste heat without via combines cycle plant is very expensive.
NOT THE CEB Friday, 08 April 2022 06:41 AM
REPLY TO KUMAR You may have rerefered to one chart where both renewable energy power generation projects and thermal power generation projects have been lined up. In another chart, again both categories have been lined up together. It requires some time to understand it.
Tilak Siyambalapitiya Friday, 08 April 2022 02:57 PM
The shortcomings of CEB, Ministry, and PUCSL
Kumar Wednesday, 13 April 2022 07:14 AM
I just got to remind you when you were in the CEB you and your buddies promoted that stinky coal power plant in Puttalm away from load centers building pricy transmission lines causing energy losses. Sri Lanka could have and built another PowerStation with the savings if the original power station built near Colombo as I suggested in my writeup. How about importing coal from Singapore, a nation with no coal mines.
DOT Saturday, 09 April 2022 05:03 AM
Stop a while .When I think of all those top end apartments in and around the urban areas ..were they costed on the energy available on the grid ? The appliances available in Sri lanka is an envy ..are they energy efficient .and not drawing on the grid ..ENERGY supply should be in keeping with the changing demand when we move on to a top end living life styles ..would it not ?
Adwani Saturday, 09 April 2022 12:29 PM
But the CEB already threatened before the blackouts that if the Government did not reverse the share deal with US company, the CEB union will resort to power interruptions like done before and now we see explanations put forward as valid reasons.
Adwani Saturday, 09 April 2022 12:32 PM
The last former Chairman who resigned from CEB claimed that power cuts are men made.
Ranaweera Saturday, 09 April 2022 07:10 PM
The retired engineer needs to education from other countries like Dubai who have implemented massive solar power projects. This retire engineer must have definitely getting kickbacks to delay these power projects. Now everyone blames Gota for the lack of national interest shown by these so called engineers. How can we sustain thermal power into the future.
He Who Watches Sunday, 10 April 2022 02:04 AM
The real reason that Renewables do not get built is the high kickbacks in the coal and oil purchases going to he "top" people!
KQ JI Sunday, 10 April 2022 11:50 PM
lets switch to renewable energy and organic farming overnight. While we are at it, let's build an airport and sea port from expensive foreign loans in middle of nowhere.
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