The tug-o-war between the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) over the long term power generation plan has reached new heights with both parties refusing to budge an inch.
Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) President Saumya Kumarawadu told the Daily News that they would start a “work to rule and non-cooperation with the PUCSL from Friday as yesterday’s meeting between the CEBEU and Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya ended leaving matters open.
The union announced that they would only work strictly during the office working hours from 8.30am to 4.15pm and that their members would not be on “on call” duty to attend to any urgent breakdown of power. They will also not sit on the meetings of Technical Evaluation Committees, tender boards, joint working groups, project groups and special assignments.
The union said it also launching an action of non cooperation with PUCSL until key staff members of the commission are replaced with “experienced and honest professionals”.
The main contention between the CEB and PUCSL is over inclusion of coal in the ‘Least Cost Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan-2018-2037’ prepared by the CEB. The PUCSL amended the plan to omit coal power and instead increased the LNG and renewable power share in the proposed energy mix before giving it green light in June last year.
However, the CEB did not accept the amended plan and sought Cabinet approval to go ahead with its original plan which included 500 MW of coal power. The Cabinet paper submitted by the ministry was referred to PUCSL for comments and the latter rejected it once again.
According to a report compiled by the PUCSL, the delay in implementing the long term power generation plan had caused Rs 50.8 billion loss as at November 2017 and since then has been incurring Rs.3.43 billion in losses per month.