Record Electricity Demand Met Without Power Cuts

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has been able to maintain an uninterrupted electricity supply despite dry weather conditions and fuel-related challenges, with careful system management and coordination ensuring that rising demand is met without power cuts, a senior official said.

Director of the National System Control Centre, Buddhika Samarakesara, said that the country currently has hydropower storage of around 665 gigawatt-hours, with approximately 153 gigawatt-hours available within the system. 

He said this hydropower capacity is being conserved and managed carefully to last until the next monsoon season, with the system being operated at maximum efficiency.

He noted that February, March and April are typically dry months, during which electricity demand increases significantly. Amid these conditions, Sri Lanka recorded its highest peak electricity demand last Monday, reaching 3,089 megawatts. In terms of energy consumption, 60.56 gigawatt-hours were managed and supplied to the national grid on Tuesday.

Samarakesara said that even under dry weather conditions and amid fuel supply constraints, Sri Lanka was able to meet this record demand without implementing any power cuts. He noted that the ability to meet a peak demand of 3,089 megawatts was not limited to a single day, and that demand has remained consistently high since then, frequently recording levels of 3,000 to 3,050 megawatts on a daily basis.

He added that daily electricity demand, measured in energy terms, is now consistently in the range of 58 to 59 gigawatt-hours. Despite this sustained high demand, the system has continued to provide uninterrupted power supply nationwide.

The Director said electricity system operations are carried out on a real-time basis, with the primary objective being the continuous supply of power. To support this, the National System Control Centre holds weekly meetings every Tuesday with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to coordinate fuel availability.

As part of this coordination, a rolling generation plan covering a 45-day period, or five weeks, is prepared and updated regularly.

Samarakesara said the latest confirmation ensures uninterrupted electricity supply planning up to the end of April.

He emphasized that through careful planning, real-time system operation and close coordination with fuel suppliers, Sri Lanka has been able to sustain continuous power supply even during a period of high demand and challenging conditions.