The Norochcholai coal power plant will remain disconnected from the national grid for several days following yesterday’s sudden islandwide power outage, the National System Operator (NSO) has announced. In a statement, the NSO explained that the plant was shut down in accordance with standard safety procedures following the incident and would not be reconnected until the necessary procedures had been completed.

The temporary loss of 810 megawatts of generating capacity is expected to place additional pressure on the country’s electricity supply. However, the NSO said measures would be taken to manage power distribution and minimize disruptions to consumers over the coming days.The operator added that continued rainy weather would support hydropower generation at maximum levels, while a projected decline in electricity demand would help ease pressure on the national power system.Meanwhile, the NSO has launched an internal investigation to identify the exact cause of the nationwide power failure and establish the sequence of events that led to the collapse of Sri Lanka’s electricity system.