Parliament to Probe Coal Imports amid Power Generation Losses
- Editor
- January 29, 2026
- Power and energy
- Lanka Coal (Private) Limited
- 0 Comments
The former Chairperson of Lanka Coal (Private) Limited is to be summoned before the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development over concerns regarding low-quality coal imports used for electricity generation.
The Committee, chaired by MP S.M. Marikkar, questioned officials from the Ministry of Energy and Lanka Coal Company, who confirmed that samples from three coal shipments had been sent to India for quality testing. Officials stated that detailed findings would be available once laboratory reports are received.
Energy experts report that substandard coal has reduced electricity generation capacity from 810 MW to around 715 MW, resulting in a daily loss of approximately 95 MW. To compensate, petroleum-based power generation is being used at higher cost.
Experts warn that delays in coal procurement and the approaching monsoon season could lead to a severe energy crisis, as coal unloading becomes impossible from April onwards.
