By Ifham Nizam
Engineers of the Ceylon Electricity Board should be held responsible for the constant breakdowns at the first coal fired power plant in Sri Lanka, a top official said yesterday.
Power and Energy Ministry Secretary M. M. C. Ferdinando told The Island that the CEB engineers could not simply pass the buck on to others.
Ferdinando, fielding questions on the present state of the plant, which was out of operation for nearly 37 days this year, said that the plant was now running smoothly. He said that a four-member committee had been appointed last week to probe the continuous breakdowns and fires breaking out at Norochcholai. The committee had been appointed by Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka and the report was expected within two months, he said.
The committee is headed by the Moratuwa University Electrical Engineering Department, Head Prof. Ranjith Perera and its members are Prof. K. K. Y. W. Perera, D. Chandrasekara and Mrs. M. Bandutilaka. The committee will investigate technical failures, operational problems and make recommendations on preventive action to ensure uninterrupted power supply from the plant.
Power and Energy Ministry Media Secretary, Dhanushka Ramanayaka said that Minister Ranawaka had nothing to do with the plant. Everything had been finalised before he took over as minister in 2010.
The first phase of the Chinese EXIM Bank funded Plant was constructed at a cost of Rs. 56.1 billion with the government’s commitment of Rs. 5.3 billion. The first phase was commissioned on March 22, 2011. However, due to a fire, the plant was extensively damaged and there was further delay in formal commissioning of the plant.
The LCPP, the first coal power plant in Sri Lanka is scheduled to generate 900 MW by 2014 on completion of the second and third phases.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=46041
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