Energy Minister says $34 million payment made for furnace oil cargo

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera says that a payment of USD $34 million was made yesterday for a shipment of furnace oil, also known as HFO or heavy fuel oil.

He said that the cargo will be unloaded today and will be used for power generation and industries.

In a twitter message, the minister further said that they intend to maintain the current two-and-a-half hour daily power cuts as it is until the Norochcholai power plant is connected back to the grid. 

A group of Chinese engineers are currently in Sri Lanka to carry out urgent maintenance work at the Norochcholai coal power plant, which was to be carried out 2 years ago but had to be postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The maintenance work is expected to take around 75 days during which the national grid will not receive full power from the Norochcholai coal power plant.

USD 34 Million was paid yesterday for a cargo of Heavy Fuel Oil/Furnace Oil. It will be unloaded today and will be used for power generation and industries. Plan to maintain the 2 and half hour power cut as it is until the Norochcholai power plant is connected back to the grid.

— Kanchana Wijesekera (@kanchana_wij) June 22, 2022