Sri Lanka union blames Chinese firm for power plant failure

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – A 300-megawatt
Chinese-built power plant in Sri Lanka failed for a fourth time
since its commissioning in March, in what a trade union on
Tuesday said was either sabotage or continuing negligence by the
operator.
The failure at the Norocholai coal power plant will force a
two-week shutdown that will cost the state-run electricity board
at least 168 million rupees ($1.47 million) to meet the lost
supply.
“All these breakdowns are happening either due to the
negligence or intentionally by the Chinese just to extend their
maintenance contract,” CEB’s Technological Engineers Union Joint
Secretary U.R.K Senaratne told Reuters.
China Machinery and Enginering Corporation (CMEC) built the
plant, the first phase of which joined the grid in March. It is
also constructing a second phase to bring the plant’s production
capacity up to 900 MW, at a total cost of $1.3 billion funded by
China’s Exim Bank.
The CMEC’s project director, Lnong Ludong, was on leave and
could not be reached for comment by Reuters.
Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said he
was investigating.
“I was not informed of any such sabotage. But I have called
for reports from two parties including the project manager and
am now studying what measures to take to prevent frequent
breakdowns,” Ranawaka told Reuters.
($1 = 113.9300 Sri Lanka rupees)