Energy Minister Anura Karunathilaka says the government is exploring legal and technical options over a controversial third coal shipment procured through an emergency procurement process, after concerns were raised about the quality of the cargo.
Addressing the media, the Minister said laboratory reports confirmed the consignment met the required heat-generation capacity, with tests showing thermal values between 5,995 and 6,080. However, checks by the international inspection firm Bureau Veritas found the ash content to be 0.6 percent above the permitted limit, and authorities are now examining whether the shipment can be legally rejected on that basis.
Karunathilaka warned that rejecting the cargo carried risks. “At the same time, if we reject this shipment, there could be issues regarding uninterrupted electricity supply,” he said, adding that any shortfall would force Sri Lanka to fall back on costlier alternative thermal power sources.
There is also little time to source a replacement: the southwest monsoon is expected to set in around mid-June, which would halt coal-unloading operations until about September. One option under discussion is imposing a financial penalty on the supplier over the higher ash content, with further legal advice and technical evaluations being sought before a decision.
The dispute is the latest in a string of quality rows over Norochcholai supply. The government recently faced scrutiny over a Richards Bay shipment with 16.8% ash, withheld payments from a supplier over penalties and a Rs. 27 million fine on Trident Chemphar. The IMF has separately flagged coal quality as a driver of Sri Lanka’s power costs.
