Colombo: Recurring technical faults in the Chinese built Norochcholai coal power plant have led to power cuts in Sri Lanka, the state energy company said on Monday.
Daily power cuts will be in force at selected regions for two weeks until such time the problem could be rectified, officials said.
Ceylon Electricity Board deputy Chairman Anura Wijepala said that Chinese engineers were working to rectify the fault.
The stage one of the 300 mega watt Norochcholai plant, located in the northwestern part of the country, was commissioned in 2011 but suffered continuous technical problems.
As a result the government was forced to impose two and a half hour power cuts last month in order to meet the shortfall.
The power generation capacity was further complicated by the on going drought conditions.
The power and energy ministry said that the hydro power generation capacity had dropped to less than 20 per cent.
The ministry has already warned of an impending power crisis if monsoons failed to materialise by next month.
PTI
