CEB decision to impose island-wide power cuts stopped

The Ministry of Power and Energy states that Minister Mahinda Amaraweera intervened to stop the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) from imposing a two hour island-wide power cuts on a daily basis. 

Issuing a media release, the ministry stated that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) had decided to stop supplying fuel to the CEB's Kerawalapitiya power plant today (3) as the CEB has gone over the loan limit owed to the CPC for supplying fuel. Accordingly, power generation from the Kerawalapitiya power plant had to be suspended. 

This led to the CEB to decide on imposing scheduled island-wide power cuts, the ministry added. 

However, Minister Amaraweera intervened to instruct the CPC to continue supplying fuel to the CEB subject to Cabinet approval. The CPC accordingly restarted supplying to the CEB. Therefore, the decision to continue with the power cuts was stopped, it added. 

Power cuts lasting several hours were reported from many areas of the island today after the CEB imposed unannounced power cuts.