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Rains assure uninterrupted power supply
The days of power-cuts — unannounced or pre-warned — are over at least for now with the rains increasing the country’s hydropower generation capacity.
A Power and Energy Ministry official said the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) was now in a position to provide uninterrupted power supply to consumers because hydropower generation had increased and the Norochcholai coal power plant was back in operation.
Hydropower which accounted for just 16 per cent of the total power generation during the recent drought period now accounted for about 40-45 per cent following heavy rains in catchment areas in the past four to six weeks.
During the drought period, the country relied heavily on thermal power which was a major strain on its import bill.
Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) chairman Wimaladharma Abeywickrama said they had decided to use the water resources carefully so that they would be able to generate electricity through hydropower even during a drought.
“We have calculated the inflow of the reservoirs and the hydro-power generation will be managed accordingly. If we produce 16 GWH of hydropower electricity only about 10 GWH will be utilised while the rest will be stored,” he said.
He said repairs and maintenance of power plants would be done in such a way that it would cause only minimum inconvenience to the general public.
According to the Meteorology Department, catchment areas have been receiving maximum rainfall with Castlereigh recording 99.9 mm of rain for the week, Moussakele 201.9 mm, Laxapana 156.4 mm, Victoria 96.3 mm, Randenigala 132.4 mm, Bowetenna 129.3 mm and Ukuwela 171.9 mm. Accordingly, the active storage capacity of several reservoirs has also gone up with the main hydropower reservoirs Castlereigh and Moussakele recording more than 93 per cent.
Meteorologist Ananda Jayasinghearachchi said the current rain pattern could change with the beginning of the northeast monsoon in the first week of December.
With the northeast monsoon, the eastern slopes of catchment areas such as Randenigala and Rantembe would get more rain than the western slopes, he said.
He said that during the current inter-monsoon period, which would last till the end of this month, thunder showers could be expected in the afternoons and evenings in catchment areas and the Western and Uva provinces.
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