Experts raise suspicion on islandwide power failure

COLOMBO (News1st): The recent countrywide power failure could not have been triggered by a fault at the power transmission network in Kerawalapitiya, energy experts have said. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has said that the power outage on Monday was caused due to the fault in the Grid Sub Station in Kerawalapitiya. It has announced scheduled power cuts citing a breakdown at the Norochcholai power plant that contributes 900 MW of power to the national grid. Experts have raised questions on whether the two incidents at Norochcholai are isolated or connected incidents. "Certain people in the CEB are trying to accelerate the (construction of a new) coal plant which will actually not solve problems," Vidura Ralapanawa, a power and energy specialist said. He said that the issue in the Kerawalapitiya Power Plant does not seem to have triggered the islandwide blackout. The impact of the breakdown at Kerawalapitiya should have stopped at Kotugoda, H.G.U. Nishantha, the chairman of the CEB Technological Engineers & Superintendent Union said. "We ask the President to direct his attention towards this by appointing a Presidential Commission to look in to what is being done at the CEB," he added.