Authorities move quickly to secure 30,000 metric tons of fuel oil as drought threatens hydropower output and forces greater reliance on thermal power generation to keep the country’s electricity supply stable.
Sri Lanka is preparing for a potential electricity shortage as authorities anticipate a sharp drop in hydropower generation due to an expected severe drought. To avoid disruptions in power supply, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has invited international bids to procure 30,000 metric tons of fuel oil required to operate thermal power plants.
A senior official from the corporation confirmed that the tender process is already underway and the submitted bids are scheduled to be opened on the seventeenth of this month. The procurement aims to secure adequate fuel reserves before the dry season intensifies.
Energy ministry sources warn that changing weather patterns could significantly reduce water levels in reservoirs used for hydropower generation. As a result, the national electricity system will depend more heavily on thermal power plants to meet rising electricity demand during hot and dry conditions.
Authorities plan to increase thermal power generation to nearly eighty percent in order to maintain uninterrupted electricity supply across the country.
Officials say the government’s primary objective is to secure fuel stocks in advance and prevent any interruption to the national power system.
