Chinese - Lankan engineers in tug of war over Norochcholai
Sunday 02 September 2012
By a Special Correspondent
The engineers of the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Chinese engineers have been clashing over the breakdown of the Norochcholai power plant.
Chief engineer of the Norochcholai coal power plant, Zhao Wenxue, last week issued a press release which stated, “The Norochcholai coal power plant had passed all the performance tests and was in operation continuously from February 2012 till end July 2012. The Norochcholai coal power plant is not as bad as one makes it out to be. It is just overused, tired, and needs a rest like any other equipment does.”
But CEB Engineers Union (EU) spokesman Ajith Vithanage dismissed these statements by the Chinese chief engineer that a major cause for the continuous breakdown of the Norochcholai power plant was due to it being overused to sustain a continuous power supply to the nation.
Ajith Vithanage said that similar to the operation of any other commercial power plant, this power plant too had been operated within the limits of its capacity and that it was wrong of the Chinese chief engineer to state that it had been overused.
“This is being operated within the warranty and liability period, just like any other product. Once a product is purchased and not used during the warranty period, and if it is used after the warranty period and problems arise, we cannot complain. It is wrong to say that we have not given this plant a rest and that it has been operated 24/7.”
“No plant can last like that. We can say confidently that this plant has been operated within its capacity and within the guarantee period,” he asserted.
He also said that though there were no major shortcomings in the design of the Norochcholai power plant, problems if any, could have been detected.
Still in a learning curve
The Engineers Union spokesman also found fault with many trade unionists who had criticized its commissioning, and asked whether such people were professionally qualified to pass judgment on such issues. He added that if the Chinese chief engineer had not found any fault with the local officials, then that would reflect adversely on the Chinese who had undertaken its commissioning.
“We are not surprised by the comments made by the Chinese chief engineer,” said Ajith Vithanage.
“He has been forced to do so in order to save face. Otherwise, it would be a bad reflection on the Chinese firm that had undertaken its commissioning. As I have already said, we have at no time exceeded the limits of capacity since the coal power plant was commissioned and we can also vouch for it,” he added.
“When a machine is brought, usually problems arise within the liability period and that is what is actually happening at the Norochcholai power plant,” Vithanage went on to say. “There could be some issues connected to the motors but we can firmly say that there is no major issue concerning the plant, per se,” he observed.
‘We are still in a learning curve and our aim is to sort out all these teething problems and surge ahead as the EU affiliated to the CEB. We are confident that with time we will be able to tune it up and see it functioning without a glitch,” he said.
He also said that the CEB engineers were trained by their Chinese counterparts before the commissioning of the power plant though initially there were problems related to language.
He added that the continuing breakdowns at the Norochcholai power plant were being rectified and they had completed the repairs to a large extent.
Speaking to LAKBIMAnEWS on August 28 evening, he said that most of the repairs were completed and that a few filters were being cleaned up and were being repaired at the time. Vithanage said that if the Norochcholai coal power plant was not in operation the entire country would have been plunged into total darkness.
He further said that if not for this coal power plant the government would have had to impose power cuts for a minimum of six hours; such is the gravity of the situation. In view of the predicament the country is put into due to adverse weather condition, drought in this instance, this plant should have come into being some 12-15 years ago, he opined.
“The CEB EU always stood for the commissioning of this power plant. This plant should have been commissioned during the time of the Chandrika Kumaratunga regime. But due to the political situation – those that were both beneficial as well as disadvantageous they did not look at it in all seriousness,” he averred.
“If this power plant had been in operation we would not have had to put up with a power crisis today and we could have saved trillions of rupees as well,” Vithanage noted.
“However, once Mahinda Rajapaksa took office as president he had the confidence to take a firm decision and it was as a result of such bold decision-making that the Norochcholai coal power plant came into being,” he further said.
The CEB EU spokesman commented that since the said power plant had come into being the local engineers have been exposed to a new technology as well. He said the commissioning of this power plant was not a wrong move on the part of the government.
No cause for alarm
Ajith Vithanage said that though the plant has broken down 12 times since it was commissioned his personal view is that it should not be shut down considering the power crisis faced in the country in addition to the demand for electricity in the future as well.
“While there have been around 12 breakdowns, these are teething problems that arise during the initial stages of its commissioning. These are nothing new and in my view there is no need to make a big hue and cry over them. Such instances are common and nothing that should cause any alarm.”
Vithanage also rubbished suggestions that the Norochcholai power plant has become a liability to the country, and stressed that once the teething problems are resolved and the failures rectified, it should function without any issues.
He refused to be drawn into comments made by Power and Energy minister Patali Champika Ranawaka who said in parliament that the location, the method used and the style of the construction of this plant were all faulty.
Vithanage said that whatever comments the minister had made, problems would arise at any coal power plant during the embryonic stages of its commissioning and that politicians should not pass judgment in haste.
Sunday 02 September 2012
By a Special CorrespondentThe engineers of the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Chinese engineers have been clashing over the breakdown of the Norochcholai power plant.Chief engineer of the Norochcholai coal power plant, Zhao Wenxue, last week issued a press release which stated, “The Norochcholai coal power plant had passed all the performance tests and was in operation continuously from February 2012 till end July 2012. The Norochcholai coal power plant is not as bad as one makes it out to be. It is just overused, tired, and needs a rest like any other equipment does.”
But CEB Engineers Union (EU) spokesman Ajith Vithanage dismissed these statements by the Chinese chief engineer that a major cause for the continuous breakdown of the Norochcholai power plant was due to it being overused to sustain a continuous power supply to the nation.
Ajith Vithanage said that similar to the operation of any other commercial power plant, this power plant too had been operated within the limits of its capacity and that it was wrong of the Chinese chief engineer to state that it had been overused.
“This is being operated within the warranty and liability period, just like any other product. Once a product is purchased and not used during the warranty period, and if it is used after the warranty period and problems arise, we cannot complain. It is wrong to say that we have not given this plant a rest and that it has been operated 24/7.”
“No plant can last like that. We can say confidently that this plant has been operated within its capacity and within the guarantee period,” he asserted.
He also said that though there were no major shortcomings in the design of the Norochcholai power plant, problems if any, could have been detected.
Still in a learning curve
The Engineers Union spokesman also found fault with many trade unionists who had criticized its commissioning, and asked whether such people were professionally qualified to pass judgment on such issues. He added that if the Chinese chief engineer had not found any fault with the local officials, then that would reflect adversely on the Chinese who had undertaken its commissioning.
“We are not surprised by the comments made by the Chinese chief engineer,” said Ajith Vithanage.
“He has been forced to do so in order to save face. Otherwise, it would be a bad reflection on the Chinese firm that had undertaken its commissioning. As I have already said, we have at no time exceeded the limits of capacity since the coal power plant was commissioned and we can also vouch for it,” he added.
“When a machine is brought, usually problems arise within the liability period and that is what is actually happening at the Norochcholai power plant,” Vithanage went on to say. “There could be some issues connected to the motors but we can firmly say that there is no major issue concerning the plant, per se,” he observed.
‘We are still in a learning curve and our aim is to sort out all these teething problems and surge ahead as the EU affiliated to the CEB. We are confident that with time we will be able to tune it up and see it functioning without a glitch,” he said.
He also said that the CEB engineers were trained by their Chinese counterparts before the commissioning of the power plant though initially there were problems related to language.
He added that the continuing breakdowns at the Norochcholai power plant were being rectified and they had completed the repairs to a large extent.
Speaking to LAKBIMAnEWS on August 28 evening, he said that most of the repairs were completed and that a few filters were being cleaned up and were being repaired at the time. Vithanage said that if the Norochcholai coal power plant was not in operation the entire country would have been plunged into total darkness.
He further said that if not for this coal power plant the government would have had to impose power cuts for a minimum of six hours; such is the gravity of the situation. In view of the predicament the country is put into due to adverse weather condition, drought in this instance, this plant should have come into being some 12-15 years ago, he opined.
“The CEB EU always stood for the commissioning of this power plant. This plant should have been commissioned during the time of the Chandrika Kumaratunga regime. But due to the political situation – those that were both beneficial as well as disadvantageous they did not look at it in all seriousness,” he averred.
“If this power plant had been in operation we would not have had to put up with a power crisis today and we could have saved trillions of rupees as well,” Vithanage noted.
“However, once Mahinda Rajapaksa took office as president he had the confidence to take a firm decision and it was as a result of such bold decision-making that the Norochcholai coal power plant came into being,” he further said.
The CEB EU spokesman commented that since the said power plant had come into being the local engineers have been exposed to a new technology as well. He said the commissioning of this power plant was not a wrong move on the part of the government.
No cause for alarm
Ajith Vithanage said that though the plant has broken down 12 times since it was commissioned his personal view is that it should not be shut down considering the power crisis faced in the country in addition to the demand for electricity in the future as well.
“While there have been around 12 breakdowns, these are teething problems that arise during the initial stages of its commissioning. These are nothing new and in my view there is no need to make a big hue and cry over them. Such instances are common and nothing that should cause any alarm.”
Vithanage also rubbished suggestions that the Norochcholai power plant has become a liability to the country, and stressed that once the teething problems are resolved and the failures rectified, it should function without any issues.
He refused to be drawn into comments made by Power and Energy minister Patali Champika Ranawaka who said in parliament that the location, the method used and the style of the construction of this plant were all faulty.
Vithanage said that whatever comments the minister had made, problems would arise at any coal power plant during the embryonic stages of its commissioning and that politicians should not pass judgment in haste.
