LNP - Minister regrets recent power cuts, assures future stability

The Ministry of Power and Energy has announced that steps have been taken to end the daily power cuts imposed to manage the electricity demand following the recent island-wide power outage. The outage, which occurred on Sunday (Feb 09), triggered the protocol system of the Norochcholai Power Plant, shutting down all three generators and causing a 900-megawatt loss to the national grid.  In response, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) implemented island-wide power cuts, lasting one-and a-half hours on the February 10 and 11 and a one-hour yesterday (12). However, Energy Minister Eng. Kumara Jayakody stated that the CEB has now successfully reconnected one generator at the Norochcholai Power Plant to the national grid, thereby ending the requirement for daily power cuts.  He further noted that the remaining two generators will be gradually reconnected  to the national grid in the coming days. Expressing regret over the inconveniences caused to the consumers through the power cuts imposed thus far, Minister Jayakody assured that the government has already initiated both short-term and long-term measures to prevent similar disruptions in the future.