Engineers at the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) have raised concerns over the stability and operational risks of the Norochcholai Power Plant, warning that it could face another shutdown if all three generators are run at maximum capacity for extended periods.
Following the collapse of the power plant on February 9, Sri Lanka experienced an island-wide blackout, and it took four days to bring the system back online. Currently, two generators are running, while the third remains on standby as per the CEB’s operational strategy. However, electrical engineers warn that running the plant 24/7 at full capacity could lead to another major failure.
CEB Media Spokesperson Dhammika Wimalaratne confirmed that two generators are currently supplying power to the national grid, and the third unit will be activated as demand increases. Despite these assurances, engineers argue that the national power system remains unstable, making it risky to operate all generators at full capacity.
The Norochcholai Power Plant (Lakvijaya Power Plant) is Sri Lanka’s largest coal-fired power station, supplying 900 megawatts to the national grid. Any disruption to its operation could severely impact power availability across the country, leading to further blackouts and electricity shortages.
