The Kelanitissa combined cycle power plant and the Ace power plant in Embilipitiya have been commissioned to offset a shortfall of 270 megawatts due to the breakdown of the third power generation plant at Norochcholai.
Sources from the Ceylon Electricity Board said that the Kelanitissa power plant, which runs on oil, was on standby for an emergency. A capacity of 170 megawatts can be added to the national grid when in operation.
However, electrical engineering associations have recently warned that the operation of the machines that generate electricity using fuel in the Kelanitissa power plant could be a problem.
In these circumstances, approval was obtained from the Public Utilities Commission yesterday (27) for an emergency purchase of 100 megawatts from the Embilipitiya Ace Private Power Plant.
Chairman of Public Utilities Commission Janaka Ratnayake said that the second generator at Norochcholai, which is currently inactive, will be added to the national grid on October 1st and the third generator can be added by next Monday.
The Public Utilities Commission said that approval was given for a power outage of two hours and twenty minutes today.
