Responding to the electricity tariff revision requested by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has informed the CEB to submit a revised tariff submission considering the latest available data before Wednesday (18) due to certain deviations in the assumptions made by CEB in its tariff filing.

In a letter addressed to the CEB’s General Manager, the Director General of the PUCSL states that with regard to the increase in demand, the CEB has forecasted demand of 44.70 GWh/day for September 2023 and 42.88 GWh/day on average for Oct-Dec 2023. 

However, actual generation demand of September 2023 is 41.01 GWh/day and October 2023 is 41.30 GWh/day, he states. 

“Therefore, assumed demand in your proposal can not be substantiated with latest data.” 

Regarding depleted hydropower, the CEB forecasted a starting hydro storage for October 2023 of 503 GWh and for November 2023 635 GWh. As at today hydro storage is 668 GWh, and Inflow for Oct 1 to Oct 12, 2023 is 314 GWh which exceeds the estimates by considerable margin, he emphasized. 

The PUCSL further noted that for Oct-Dec 2023, the CEB has forecasted a total coal dispatch of 1,444 GWh in May 15, 2023 submission and 1,334 GWh in Sep 4, 2023 submission. 

However, the Commission says it envisages a drop in demand higher than the drop of coal dispatch. 

Further coal price has dropped from 68.6 LKR/kg in May 15, 2023 submission to 52.6 LKR/kg in Sep 4, 2023 submission. The impact of coal dispatch reduction cannot be justified with latest data, the letter. 

Therefore, the CEB has been informed to submit a revised tariff submission considering the latest available data before October 18, 2023.