Apart from the Samanalawewa and New Laxapana power stations, all other power-generating stations, including Norochcholai, have broken down, according to Energy Minister Anura Karunathilake.

Meanwhile, the Energy Minister earlier said that efforts are currently underway to restore the power system following an islandwide power outage this morning (17), with electricity expected to be restored in stages as soon as possible.

He said that the exact cause for the islandwide power interruption is still not known and that steps to restore power are under way while it has been restored in several areas by now.

Although the primary cause of the power outage has not yet been identified, the Minister stated that investigations are currently underway—with a special focus on whether an operational failure at a power plant in Kotmale yesterday (16) may have triggered the imbalance in the system.

Furthermore, the Minister made a special request to consumers with rooftop solar panel systems, asking them to disconnect their systems at this time to assist in the swift restoration of the power grid.

A nationwide power outage occurred today due to a system instability in the transmission network, according to the National System Operator (NSO).

The NSO said Sri Lanka’s power grid experienced a total system failure following a system instability that occurred this morning (17).

The power outage was reported at around 11:45 a.m. today (17).

The NSO confirmed that a total power interruption was being experienced islandwide and that steps were underway to restore the electricity supply.

Meanwhile, the NSO has requested owners of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to disconnect their systems until further notice to support restoration efforts.