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Information Officer
PUCSL’s Approval for 100MW Short-Term Generation Capacity Procurement
PUCSL’s Approval for 100MW Short-Term Generation Capacity Procurement
Thu, 17 Aug 2023 |

The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has granted its approval on 17th August 2023 to Procure of 100 MW of Generation Capacity on Short Term basis.

                                     

The approval of PUCSL has been granted to the transmission licensee under section 43(4)(c)(ii) of Sri Lanka Electricity Act No.20 of 2009 (as amended) to proceed with the procurement process for adding a generation capacity of 100MW in the southern area on short term basis for period of 6 months from 18th August 2023 subjected to the following conditions.

 

  1. The adding generation capacity shall operate on merit order basis and transmission licensee shall demonstrate that the power plants operated on merit order through an independent dispatch audit at the end of Power Purchase Agreement period.
  2. The Kotmale – New Polpitiya 220kV line shall be energized before 31st August 2024.
  3. The procurement of above supplementary power shall be done on the least cost basis.

 

PUCSL has considered the followings in arriving at the decision;

 

 

  1. Cabinet of Ministers has declared an emergency situation pertaining to the decision to release of water from Samanalawewa Power Plant for irrigation purposes of downstream cultivations and to procure 100MW of supplementary power by 15th August 2023, for a period of 4 to 6 months to avoid planned power shedding at the Cabinet meeting held on 07th August 2023 .
  2. According to information of Metrological department, significant rainfall can be expected only from mid -October 2023.
  3. The release of water for agricultural purposes from Samanalawewa has begun on 08th August 2023 and the storage level of the Samanalawewa Reservoir has been recorded as 2.6GWh (1.9%) as at 06.00hrs on 17th August 2023, which will be totally depleted on 23rd August 2023 losing a generation capacity of 120MW to the southern part of the grid.

 

  1. Energizing of New Polpitiya – Hambantota 220kV transmission line has not totally resolved the capacity shortage in the southern part of the grid as Kotmale – New Polpitiya 220kV line which is designed to bring the generation of the Mahaweli Complex and connect the 220kV network to the southern part of the grid is still not available.

 

  1. The generation of the Laxapana Complex can only be utilized to compensate the unavailability of generation from Samanalawewa Power Plant. However, there is a requirement of continuous release of water from Laxapana complex in order to maintain minimum requirement for drinking water supply to Colombo until next inter monsoon. Therefore, Laxapana Complex cannot be utilized to fully compensate the unavailability of Samanalawewa Power Plant.
  2. The water storage as at 17th August 2023 is 27.9%.

 

  1. Adding supplementary power could support to reduce the hydro dispatch during the course of the year and facilitate to build a sufficient hydro storage (at least 800GWh) as an initial storage on 1/1/2024.
  2. The expected date of energizing the New Polpitiya – Hambantota transmission line shall be 20th August 2023
  3. The Unit 2 of Lakvijaya Power Station has already commenced operation after repairs and unit 3 of Lakvijaya plant is expected to be operational by 6th November 2023.
  4. The Results of the load flow studies (including line loads and busbar voltages in the southern part of the grid during day peak and night peak)