The third unit of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, which had been temporarily shut during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year holidays due to reduced electricity demand, has been successfully restarted at 11:00 am today (April 21).

With this development, all three units of the plant are now operational, boosting national capacity to meet the recent surge in electricity demand.

Renewable energy curtailment also endsIn an official statement, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) also announced that the renewable energy curtailment program which began on April 10 to maintain grid stability during the holiday period was concluded early due to increased electricity demand.

Originally scheduled to continue until 3.00 pm on April 21, the curtailment was lifted a day earlier – at 3.00 pm yesterday – due to a notable increase in electricity demand.

 “CEB wishes to inform the public that renewable energy management which commenced on April 10 ahead of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year holidays due to reduced electricity demand, and need to ensure grid stability has now been concluded earlier than scheduled,” CEB Spokesman, Engineer Dhammika Wimalaratne said.

“We extend our sincere thanks to nearly 100,000 solar suppliers and prosumers, including domestic rooftop owners, net-plus and net-plus-plus commercial producers, whose cooperation during this critical period was instrumental in safeguarding national grid stability”, he expressed.

Twenty-two Army personnel have been injured after the bus they had been travelling in, had collided head on with a lorry today morning (April 21).

The accident had occurred in the Manamala Junction along the Nittambuwa- Kirindiwela Road.

The 22 Army soldiers, including the bus driver, who were in the bus, had sustained injuries and were admitted to the Wathupitiwala Hospital.

20 soldiers were subsequently discharged while one soldier and the driver of the bus are continuing to receive treatment.

His Holiness Pope Francis has died aged 88, the Vatican has announced.
According to the Vatican news service, the Pope has passed away at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church,” His Eminence Cardinal Farrell has stated.

His death comes a day after the Pope appeared in St Peter’s Square to wish “Happy Easter” to thousands of worshippers.

He was the first Pope from the Americas or the southern hemisphere. Not since Syrian-born Gregory III died in 741 had there been a non-European Bishop of Rome.

(Agencies)