A coal vessel anchored near the Colombo Port has triggered fresh controversy over compliance with tender specifications, the Free Lawyers Association said in a statement.
The vessel arrived from the Richards Bay Coal Terminal in South Africa carrying 59,766 metric tonnes of coal. According to the association, the consignment’s ash content stands at 16.8%, exceeding the 16% maximum specified in the tender issued by the Ceylon Coal Company — potentially placing the shipment outside required quality standards. It said copies of the ship’s cargo manifest had been circulated on 30 April to coal company officials and the Secretary to the Ministry of Energy, among others, and argued the stock may not even be eligible for purchase under penalty conditions.
Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka said that the coal, despite being of lower quality than required, could still be used for electricity generation at the Norochcholai Power Plant. He added that legal action had already been initiated over issues relating to the tender process and quality compliance, and dismissed certain claims about the vessel, alleging that some parties were spreading false information for political purposes.
The dispute adds to sustained scrutiny of coal procurement for Norochcholai. The government has separately withheld payments from a supplier over quality penalties and imposed a Rs. 27 million penalty on Indonesian supplier Trident Chemphar in earlier consignments. Quality and price disputes have shadowed the Norochcholai coal procurement programme through the current supply cycle.
