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Countrywide blackout due to defective valve
Saturday, 8 December 2007 - 8:49 AM SL Time
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The countrywide blackout experienced between 5.00 a.m. and 6.00 a.m. yesterday was due to a technical problem at the Kelantissa Combined Power Plant, a senior engineer of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said.
He told The Island that it was the first time that the entire country had experienced a blackout due to a technical problem. Power was restored within one hour, but, the cause of the technical problem was identified only around 9.00 a.m.
The Island learns that the Kelanitissa Combined Power Plant, which usually generates 165 MW, was generating only around 100 MW during off-peak hours. An engineer also said that the system was connected to 12 other generators and if anything goes wrong, the other generators would do the needful. But yesterday was the first time all generators failed, he said.
He said that Sri Lanka has a very weak network system. Yesterday`s problem was a defective valve following a fuel block. `These problems are common and a similar problem occurred last year but it did not affect the whole country.
He said in the year 2000 part of the United States of America and Canada experienced a similar problem that took authorities six days to restore power.
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p007
Joined: May 2006
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 8 Dec 2007 09:15:21 GMT Report for Abuse
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He said in the year 2000 part of the United States of America and Canada experienced a similar problem that took authorities six days to restore power.
This is great news. C.E.B in 2007 is very much better than U.S. or Canada in 2000. Wonder whether, even today, U.S. or Canada is capable of restoring power in less than 6 days after a black out. Bravo C.E.B |
MyTake
Joined: Dec 2007
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 8 Dec 2007 15:58:01 GMT Report for Abuse
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Not sure if an Engineer had said that. First of all US blackout happened in 2003 not in 2000. Power was restored within 5-6 hours not in 6 days!
US total peak demand is about 800,000MW compared to about 2000 MW in SL. The 2003 blackout affected parts of US-Canada covering about 100,000 MW (50 million people). Actually, the blackouts in North America are not that common. Happens once every 20-30 years or so. In fact it's a calculated risk taken considering investments needed to have zero failures in 100 yrs as opposed to a failure in 25 yrs.
The blackout affected EHV lines about 500 km long and over 500 units some of them with sizes of 1000 MW - 1500 MW each. The fact that such a huge and complex system was restored in 5-6 hours (for most areas) tells how prepared the system and the people are.
What we need in Sri Lanka is to invest in a few more big powerplants and a robust transmission system to cater for the growing economy. This will affect some people, but we should not let Bishops and petty politicians exploit a few folk's sentiments and take the whole country hostage. We need strong leaders who can see 10-15 years ahead (or atleast listen to the experts who do) and are willing to do the right thing for the general good of the country and it's future. |
p007
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9 Dec 2007 02:57:44 GMT Report for Abuse
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| Thanks MyTake for the info. Wouldn't it be a good idea for you to write to the newspaper which carried the news item? |
Pera
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 9 Dec 2007 03:01:22 GMT Report for Abuse
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This will affect some people, but we should not let Bishops and petty politicians exploit a few folk's sentiments and take the whole country hostage. We need strong leaders who can see 10-15 years ahead (or atleast listen to the experts who do) and are willing to do the right thing for the general good of the country and it's future.
Well siad my Take.
After long delay, Puttalam coal power project is on! |
Ramz
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 9 Dec 2007 06:02:43 GMT Report for Abuse
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There is a reason why we, third world countries, never develop...
it is 'looking to someone who is worse than us....to state that we are better than them'......so, we keep proude of the issue...keep ourselves always in the bottom....and don't try to develop.
indeed, always we have to look to whom are better than us, then always we find that we are behind them..so try to develop ourselves and acheive it....
in 1961, when Singapore got the independence, they did not look into a poor country and say, woow, we are better than them....instead, they looked at Colombo at that time, sri lanka was among the best countries in south and south east asia...so, they set a goal....PM said in his speach....'we should work hard and within 25 years... we should reach where sri lanka is....'
but....look now, we have to look at singapore with an open mouth, and wonder about their acheivments... |
mareesa03
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 9 Dec 2007 12:07:02 GMT Report for Abuse
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Countrywide blackout due to defective valve..
Because United States of America & Canada experience the similar problem in year 2000, there is no problem for SL..
Why not this idi.ts see,the good things in Canada and USA..
According to our Engineers,it takes six days to replace a valve in America, but for them, only one hour..
Good work...
For everything our people have good excuses..
Where is the Valve? he is talking about?
If one of the generator is faulty..the other one will switch on automatically..That is the way it should be..
It mean to say both of the generators had the same problem..
This means these generators, never had any preventive maintenance to check the running conditions,if there is any necessity..
May be our Electrical engineers, have no idea.. how to maintain generators properly..
Good that they don't blame the LTTE for this..Ayo Sami..
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