The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has announced that power from the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant is expected to be restored to the national grid by Friday, February 14.
CEB Engineer Dhammika Wimalaratna stated that efforts are underway to expedite the restoration process, adding:
“We believe we will be able to restore the power supply to normal within the next three to four days. By February 14, we expect full restoration, which would eliminate the need for demand management. However, we are also working to restore power earlier than expected, and if successful, we will notify the public in advance.”
He also mentioned that the ongoing one-and-a-half-hour power cuts may be gradually reduced as restoration progresses.
Recent Power Outages
- On February 09, Sri Lanka faced a nationwide power outage at around 11:15 a.m., linked to an incident at the Panadura grid substation, where a monkey reportedly entered the facility, triggering an imbalance in the system.
- Power was fully restored by 6:00 p.m., but an automatic shutdown at the Norochcholai Power Plant led to another 900 MW loss, exacerbating the crisis.
- CEB implemented scheduled power cuts on February 10 and 11, with one-and-a-half-hour outages occurring between 3:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
To manage the shortfall, the CEB relied on thermal power plants, ensuring full restoration by 9:45 p.m.
CEB assures the public that normal power supply will resume soon and will provide further updates on the progress.
