Norochcholai plant’s third unit restarted as CEB ends renewable energy curtailment early

The third unit of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, which had been temporarily shut during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year holidays due to reduced electricity demand, has been successfully restarted at 11:00 a.m. today (April 21).

With this development, all three units of the plant are now operational, boosting national capacity to meet the recent surge in electricity demand.

In an official statement, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) announced that the renewable energy curtailment program which began on April 10 to maintain grid stability during the holiday period was concluded early due to increased electricity demand.

Originally scheduled to continue until 3.00 p.m. on April 21, the curtailment has been lifted a day earlier—at 3.00 p.m. on April 20—due to a notable increase in electricity demand.

 “CEB wishes to inform the public that renewable energy management which commenced on April 10 ahead of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year holidays due to reduced electricity demand, and need to ensure grid stability has now been concluded earlier than scheduled,” CEB Spokesman, Engineer Dhammika Wimalaratne said. 

“We extend our sincere thanks to nearly 100,000 solar suppliers and prosumers, including domestic rooftop owners, net-plus and net-plus-plus commercial producers, whose cooperation during this critical period was instrumental in safeguarding national grid stability”, he expressed.

Earlier, in response to the drastic drop in power consumption during the festive period, the CEB deactivated all operational thermal power plants. One generator at Norochcholai was taken offline on April 11, followed by the suspension of operations at the Kelanitissa Naphtha Power Plant on April 12.

Throughout the holiday season, the CEB prioritized the use of hydroelectric and renewable energy sources. This strategy was informed by a detailed analysis of anticipated electricity demand and renewable energy output, enabling the utility to make targeted operational adjustments.

The CEB also implemented temporary disconnections of rooftop solar systems exceeding 100 kilowatts, and on April 13, requested all rooftop solar power unit owners to cease generation during daylight hours. The board emphasized that disconnections should only occur upon receipt of an SMS notification and only until 3:00 p.m. on specified days.

Reiterating its gratitude, the CEB acknowledged the crucial role played by the public, particularly solar power users, in ensuring grid stability during this sensitive period.