The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has presented evidence confirming that the coal imported by the government from South Africa is of poor quality, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said in a special statement today.
In a video message, he noted that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) had repeatedly warned the government, the President, and the subject minister about the inferior quality of South African coal.
The PUCSL’s latest report, comparing Russian and South African coal, has now reaffirmed these concerns, he said.
Premadasa explained that the report shows South African coal has failed to generate the full capacity required at the Lakvijaya power plant, and although the plant should produce 300 megawatts, the South African shipments have consistently fallen short.
“Even when looking at specific coal combustion values, the report shows that South African coal yields higher figures than Russian coal. Performance data from the Lakvijaya plant indicates that the required Gross Calorific Value (GCV) of 5900–6150 or 6200 could not be achieved. The report highlights that the Lakvijaya data is more reliable than the Loard Port and Dispatch reports, confirming the inferiority of South African coal,” he said.
Premadasa further said that although the Ministry, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), and even the subject minister rejected Lakvijaya’s findings, the PUCSL has accepted them and formally confirmed that South African coal is substandard.
“Analysis of fly ash emissions shows that while Russian coal produces 0.46 kg of ash per kilowatt hour, South African coal produces 0.93 kg, an increase of 102%. This further proves the poor quality of the imported coal,” he said.
The Opposition leader pointed out that according to the PUCSL report, the loss from nine shipments amounts to Rs. 8,497 million.
“In addition, the high ash content has exceeded humidity limits, caused excessive strain on equipment, and risked boiler overheating, leading to potential damage. These findings confirm that the South African coal imported by the present government is substandard,” he stressed.
Premadasa further highlighted that despite these findings, the government has initiated an emergency procurement process to import five more ships carrying 60,000 tonnes of coal. He stressed that this decision underscores the lack of quality in the coal supplied through the tender process.
The Opposition Leader concluded by stating that the government must now provide answers to the people, as the PUCSL’s analysis has formally confirmed the importation of substandard coal. (Newswire)