Govt. rejects claims linking islandwide power failure to substandard coal

Generator Unit 1 at the Lakvijaya Power Plant in Norochcholai remains offline following a technical failure linked to the nationwide blackout on Oct. 17, 2026, Cabinet Spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa said.

Responding to questions from journalists, Jayatissa rejected opposition allegations that substandard coal contributed to the power failure.

He said the generator had been shut down for maintenance for 62 days, from July 30 to September 30, this year and that coal from a new shipment had been used for power generation since September 4.

“There is no link between the coal quality and this incident, as the coal being used for September 4 are from new shipments” he said.

Asked about the financial losses caused by the power outage, which journalists said the opposition is calculating, Jayatissa said those figures would be announced by the opposition next week.

“Our job is to restore the system,” he said.

Jayatissa expressed hope that the power plant would return to normal operations from tomorrow, in line with assurances given by the authorities. (Newswire)

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