Another power crisis following Avurudu?

Colombo (News 1st): There has been no adequate rainfall in areas close to hydropower plants, although certain areas in Sri Lanka have received rainfall. Will there be another power crisis after the festive season? Various factions speculate of an energy crisis from April 22nd when factories and other work-places recommence operations following the festive season with hydro-power generation being restricted. A senior officer attached to the Ceylon Electricity Board said 100 MW of power would be added to the national grid from 03 private thermal power-plants before the end of the month. However, citing concern on the supply meets the demand, the official believes, sporadic power-cuts would be enforced for a lesser period than experienced before. However, Minister Ravi Karunayake, speaking to News 1st, stressed such a situation would not arise. Director of PUCSL Engineer Kanchana Siriwardena noted that as one solution to the power crisis, the PUCSL has recommended that generators at private and state institutions that are generally used when there is a power outage to be switched on. He noted that at state institutions alone there is a capacity of 200MWs and there is also a cabinet decision that has been made on this matter in August 2018. He went onto note that the CEB has been instructed to connect these generators. Siriwardena noted that in addition to this there are generators that have a total capacity of 1000MWs at private institutions, therefore he noted they can use this power if there is a drought or a breakdown in a power plant as a short term solution, without making long term agreements. He said they have recommended that these generators be connected to the system so that they can be used as a short term solution if and when they are needed. This is what the General Secretary of the Ceylon Employees Union had to say,

"We know that the supply of power was interrupted due to the lack of about 300 to 350 MWs of power. With the holiday season now we have a surplus of power. So there is no need to interrupt the supply of power now. The Minister of Power made a statement and also issued a media release that they had entered into an agreement to purchase the 350 MWs of energy from a number of private power plants. If these agreements with the owners of the private power plants are still valid when there is rain in excess in the future and we have a surplus of power, they will have to be paid as if the power was actually being used. That is a big problem."

Media Spokesperson to the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy Sulakshana Jayawardena noted their hope is to provide a continuous supply of power, but the situation is still the same. He said they know that there was a reduction in the demand for power from the grid. Jayawardene noted that the demand for power will increase again when people start working after the festive season, however, with the steps that have been taken, they are in a position to continuously generate electricity. He went onto note that they made a request during that challenging period in the past, to use these generators and make a payment to the owners of these generators as well. He said they hope that these institutions use their generators to fulfil their power demand.