NOROCHCHOLAI PLANT BROKEN DOWN ON 271 DAYS

January 23, 2014
The Norochcholai Coal Power Plant has so far failed to generate power on a total of 271 days, due to various mechanical failures, since it was commissioned in 2011, the Minister of Power and Energy Pavithra Wanniarachch said today.

The Norochcholai power plant had commenced generating power on February 13, 2011.

It has been 1,086 days since the power plant was commissioned and on 271 of those days the plant failed to generate electricity, she said, responding to a question by JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Parliament. 

Invisible hand behind breakdowns of power plants?

 Thursday, 23 January 2014 

The government says it is seriously suspecting as to whether there is an invisible hand behind the breakdowns of Norochcholai coal power plant, Kelanitissa, Randenigala and Rantembe hydro power plants and the Canyon and New Laxapana power plants which are inoperative due to a lack of water. Due to the breakdowns of these power plants, the national grid is losing 80 megawatts of power. In view of this situation, a power-cut will definitely be enforced within weeks, CEB spokesman Senajith Dassanayake has told the media.

The inoperative status of these power plants had resulted in a 25 per cent reduction in the generation of hydro power and a 65 pc decrease in thermal power generation. Following the breakdown of the Norochcholai power plant, the CEB has to buy a unit of electricity at a higher price, from Rs. 28 to Rs. 45. Therefore, the government’s previous promise to remove the fuel adjustment charge and bring down the electricity bill will be confined to a promise only.

With the coming year being a year of elections, this situation will unavoidably create public displeasure against the government, and it will adversely affect the government’s election campaign. Therefore, the president has ordered state intelligence to immediately find out as to whether there is an invisible hand behind the breakdowns of these power plants.