Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on Thursday(12) alleged that all recent coal shipments imported for the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant were substandard.
He made the allegation at a meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development, held at the Parliament complex.
Addressing the committee, Sajith Premadasa said he had failed to receive satisfactory explanations when the matter was raised earlier in Parliament.
Pointing at figures submitted by officials, he said the second coal shipment alone resulted in losses amounting to Rs. 288.5 million, while authorities were able to recover only Rs. 135.1 million. The losses linked to the third shipment exceeded Rs. 1 billion, but only Rs. 150 million can be recovered. The fourth shipment involved a loss of Rs. 865 million, of which only Rs. 107 million is recoverable.
“There is a very serious issue with these shipments,” he added.
He further alleged that low-quality coal in several shipments had forced the use of larger quantities than required to generate electricity, driving up production costs.
“It is very clear that in many of these shipments the coal quality was poor. As a result, more coal than necessary had to be used to produce electricity,” he said. “The additional cost is ultimately borne by the consumer, because alternative power sources such as diesel power stations or the Kelanitissa Power Plant have to be used. These replacement costs directly increase electricity bills.”
Senior officials from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), and the Lanka Coal Company were summoned before the committee.
The discussion centered on the quality of coal imported for the Norochcholai power plant, amid growing concerns over procurement standards and energy sector oversight. (NewsWire)