Sri Lanka’s power cuts may be extended to five hours, CEB engineers warn

ECONOMYNEXT – Power cuts in Sri Lanka may be extended up to five hours owing to a breakdown of the Norochcholai power plant, the engineers union of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said.

CEB Engineers Union Chairman Anil Ranjith told reporters on Wednesday (04) that if there is no sufficient rainfall in the coming days for hydropower generation, Sri Lanka’s ongoing power crisis could worsen.

The Mahaweli Authority has agreed to facilitate hydro generation to an extent, said Ranjith, adding that thermal power generation will prove costlier under prevailing circumstances.

Sri Lanka’s ongoing daily power cuts of three hours and 20 minutes may have to be extended for five hours if the situation persists, he added.

The Norochcholai coal power plant experienced a breakdown on Tuesday (03), and according to officials will take about five days to be back online. (Colombo/May04/2022)