CEB anticipates Rs.100 billion loss if dry weather continues

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) anticipates a loss of Rs.100 billion this year if the prevailing dry weather continues, further paving the way for emergency power purchases from the private sector, the CEB Trade Union Collective emphasized yesterday.

Speaking to the media in Colombo the association said the CEB has incurred a loss of Rs. 85 billion in 2019 due to the external power purchases during the prevailing dry weather. However the amount of loss could be brought down in the following year to Rs. 45 billion not due to the efficiency of the management but if the rains continued.

“Several engineers in the CEB had come up with affordable and effective plans to alleviate this situation.

But, action was taken against them by the organization instead of giving them an opportunity”, said the Chairman of the Trade Union Unity Malaka Wickremesinghe. Chief Secretary of the Collective A.G.U. Nishantha said the proposed hybrid power plants in the Northern islands would be an unnecessary regional geopolitical issue. Therefore, the project should be given to the CEB for implementation.

The selected company’s estimate for these three power plants which generate less than one Mega watt is Rs 2.3 billion. An engineering estimate would further reduce this amount, he added.

“This is an unnecessary issue. The CEB which has thousands of engineers is capable of conducting this project. We have the knowledge and resources,” he stressed.

(Source: Daily News – By Lahiru Fernando)