Several power plants may have to be shut down | Daily News
CEBEU to intensify strike action

Several power plants may have to be shut down

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Union (CEBEU) have unanimously decided to intensify their current work-to-rule campaign from today and may have to shut down several power plants starting next week, over the governments failure to address their concerns.

Speaking to the Daily News, Engineer Saumya Kumarawadu who heads the union said that the Executive Committee has decided to refrain from working after office hours.

“During the last few weeks although we staged a work-to-rule campaign we still attended to work when the need arose,” he said.

“From today we will not attend to any work or breakdowns regardless of the situation or circumstance,” he said.

He also said that the members have spoken of the many power plants which have both policy and technical glitches adding that they have decided to stop work on those plants from next Tuesday.

“This would include Norochcholai and other smaller plants like the Barge Mount,” he said.

“There are several plants with questionable policy and technical issues that may not function anymore.”

Engineer Kumarawadu stated that despite repeated pleas to approve the Least Cost Long Term Generation Plan, the state and the regulator the Public Utilities Commission is yet to agree to it.

“What we are asking for is not for our personal gain. The country will be plunged into darkness in a year and the engineers will be blamed. We have decided to make sure our voices are heard so that the general public is aware of the situation.”

The Daily News is in possession of documentation which finds that CEB has relentlessly extended power purchase agreements with Independent Power Plants even after the agreements and tenure has lapsed.

This includes power plants such as Ace Power Embilipitiya, Barge amounted power plant to name a few.


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