{"id":3865,"date":"2017-10-28T22:46:47","date_gmt":"2017-10-28T17:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cebeu.lk\/cebeuw\/?p=3865"},"modified":"2017-10-28T22:46:47","modified_gmt":"2017-10-28T17:16:47","slug":"ceb-engineers-pull-the-plug-on-govt-s-power-plant-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cebeu.lk\/?p=3865","title":{"rendered":"CEB engineers pull the plug on Govt.\u2019s power plant plans"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Sandun Jayawardana<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Government\u2019s plans to procure emergency power plants vital to avert a potential power crisis in 2018-2019 suffered a blow after the Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers\u2019 Union (CEBEU) decided to withdraw from all Technical Evaluation Committees (TECs) in charge of power plant procurement.<\/p>\n

The CEBEU\u2019s move marks an escalation of trade union action launched last month amid a bitter dispute over the CEB\u2019s Long Term Power Generation Plan.<\/p>\n

Among the emergency procurement plans that have been hit are the 300 Megawatt (MW) Combined Cycle Power Plant at Kerawalapitiya, 100MW barge mounted diesel plant in Galle and four 18MW diesel power plants.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Government has also taken Cabinet approval to acquire 100MW of emergency power during the coming dry period from February to May next year, but our members will not work on these high cost procurements,\u201d CEBEU Executive Committee Member Athula Wanniarachchi insisted.<\/p>\n

He revealed that two 300MW units of the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai were scheduled to be shut down on separate occasions for routine maintenance next year for at least 45 days. As such, he warned that meeting the power demand would be difficult next year.<\/p>\n

Mr. Wanniarachchi charged that no action had been taken to build a large (thermal or hydro) power plant since Lakvijaya\u2019s Unit 3 was commissioned in 2013. As a result there is a huge power deficit at present and the situation would only worsen in 2018-19.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Government should take total responsibility for repercussions which might arise due to non-functioning of TECs working on medium-term and short-term power solutions,\u201d he stressed, claiming the union gave the Government ample time to solve the issue.<\/p>\n

The crisis stems from a dispute between the CEB and the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), the power sector regulator, over the country\u2019s Least Cost Long Term Generation Expansion Plan (LCLTGEP) 2018-2037. The CEB alleges the plan approved by the regulator in July this year was not the plan it submitted. It charges that the PUCSL had exceeded powers vested with it in amending the plan, a charge which the regulator strongly refutes. The PUCSL claims that its analysis found that a \u201ccoal free\u201d scenario submitted by the CEB was cheaper than the \u201cbase case\u201d plan it recommended, which included coal power plants.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Power and Renewable Energy Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera said the Parliament\u2019s Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Energy had taken up the matter several weeks ago and all sides had agreed that the LCLTGEP needed a review.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also came to an agreement on the inclusion of coal power plants in the plan,\u201d he said, indicating that proposals for coal power plants would be submitted to the Cabinet and the PUCSL again for approval.<\/p>\n

As such, the Deputy Minister said there was no point in the CEBEU intensifying its trade union action.<\/p>\n

Mr Wanniarachchi, however, said while an agreement had indeed been reached at the oversight committee some weeks ago, there had been no movement since then.<\/p>\n

When contacted, United National Party Parliamentarian Ashu Marasinghe, a member of the SOC on Energy, said the committee hoped to convene again before the end of the month to finalise its decision. He, however, said any changes should be made in line with the Government\u2019s energy policy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Government has also taken Cabinet approval to acquire 100MW of emergency power during the coming dry period from February to May next year, but our members will not work on these high cost procurements,\u201d CEBEU Executive Committee Member Athula Wanniarachchi insisted.
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