Committee appointed to examine coal import quality discrepancies

The Ministry of Energy has set up a team of experts to look into problems with coal imports, according to Cabinet spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. This team will include professors from the University of Moratuwa and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, as well as officials from the ministry. Their task is to examine technical issues in coal testing and assess any financial losses involved. The Minister mentioned that coal is checked at the loading port by certified labs. Coal that has a calorific value above 5,900 kcal/kg is accepted, while shipments lower than this are turned away. For coal that falls between 5,900 and 6,100 kcal/kg, a penalty is imposed based on set rules, the Cabinet Spokesman explained. So far, ten ships have arrived in Sri Lanka, and eight have been completely unloaded. Reports show that penalties have been applied to six of these ships because their calorific values did not meet the standards. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa provided examples of penalties: the first shipment of 59,831 metric tons faced a penalty of USD 2.07 million. The second ship was fined USD 436,001, the third USD 484,929, the fourth USD 345,652, the fifth USD 500,192, and the sixth USD 510,677. Dr. Jayatissa stressed that the entire process follows transparent procurement methods and that there have been no irregularities. He pointed out that previous coal imports did not undergo such thorough testing, making this the first time that reports from the loading port and discharge are being checked against each other. Additionally, the committee will investigate technical issues found in the reports and find out if any discrepancies happened during shipping or handling, to ensure the correct penalties are enforced.