Sri Lanka faces a high risk of power cuts after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year as a severe diesel shortage and substandard coal imports have pushed the electricity system to a critical level, with controlled outages already being planned to prevent a total grid collapse.
A newspaper reports that engineers at the Ceylon Electricity Board are warning of a high risk of power cuts after the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year festive season, due to the acute diesel shortage and disruptions in coal supply.
A senior electrical engineer from the Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Association told the newspaper that maintaining the current no power cut situation has become extremely difficult, and the system’s functionality has reached a critical level due to existing fuel constraints. Electricity generation from diesel power plants has become challenging because of limited fuel stocks and supply chain issues. Additionally, the generation capacity at the Norochcholai coal power plant has been reduced due to recently imported substandard coal.
Authorities are expected to attempt to avoid power cuts until after the festive season to prevent public backlash and economic disruption. However, if fuel supplies do not improve quickly, power cuts during the daytime or evening peak hours after the New Year may become unavoidable.
Reports indicate that dependence on electricity for cooking has increased due to the gas shortage, further raising electricity demand during nighttime hours. Although not officially announced, internal sources suggest that plans for controlled power cuts are already being prepared to protect the overall electricity system from a collapse.
Against the backdrop of an uninterrupted power supply being essential to maintain economic stability, the report further states that the entire system is at serious risk due to structural weaknesses in the energy sector and heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels.
