Hon. Hector Appuhamy
2026-03-03
Hon. Appuhamy raised a supplementary question regarding Sri Lanka's energy security, highlighting that the government's own admission of substandard coal imports has reduced Norochcholai power plant output from 900 MW to 600 MW. He warned that with only approximately one month's fuel stocks remaining, reliance on costly diesel generators as an alternative is precarious given global supply uncertainties, and demanded that the Minister outline concrete steps to prevent a severe power generation crisis and its consequent impact on the public.
Hon. Speaker, my first supplementary to the Hon. Minister, who is also responsible for coal, is this: At a time when the Government itself has accepted that substandard coal has been brought in, output at Norochcholai has dropped from 900 MW to 600 MW, making it impossible to supply the required number of units to the people. The next option—diesel generators—is extremely costly, and the current global situation adds further uncertainty. You know the situation with the ongoing war. You have said there are only about one month’s stocks of fuel. If fuel does not arrive, and with reduced output from Norochcholai, you will have to rely on generators that also require fuel. If we run short of fuel and generation, you will create a worse war within the country; innocent people will suffer. What steps will you take to prevent such a situation?