The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) has expressed optimism that recent leadership changes at the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) will create a solid foundation to avert a potential power crisis in 2026-2027.
Over the past two and a half years, the union highlighted that the politicization of the CEB, particularly under the previous Minister of Power and Energy, had reached unprecedented levels. Key management roles, including that of the General Manager (GM), were filled through political appointments rather than based on seniority, significantly hindering the board’s operations.
During a press briefing in Colombo on Saturday, former CEBEU Chairman and executive committee member Dhanushka Parakramasinghe pointed out that these political appointments primarily aimed to further business interests. He cited controversial projects, such as the unsolicited Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tender and large-scale renewable energy initiatives like Adani’s ventures in the North, which have faced opposition from both environmentalists and local communities.
Parakramasinghe emphasized that the government had failed to commission any large-scale power plants over the past two and a half years, as outlined in the draft Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP) 2023-2042. Instead, only a few costly unsolicited renewable energy projects were proposed, none of which had materialized due to various challenges. He cautioned that if these trends continue, Sri Lanka could face a significant power crisis during the 2026-2027 period.
In light of this, the CEBEU welcomed the recent appointment of Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya, a top energy expert, as CEB Chairman, along with Engineer K.G.R.F. Comester as the new General Manager. Parakramasinghe expressed confidence that these appointments, based on expertise and qualifications, would help correct the leadership mistakes of previous years, especially in preventing the anticipated power crisis.
In response to comments made by the former Minister of Power and Energy regarding the new GM appointment, the CEBEU stressed that the qualifications and experience required for the GM role are specific to the electricity sector, particularly in generation, transmission, and distribution. They also noted that the appointment of Eng. Comester adhered to the CEB Act No. 17 of 1969, and CEBEU Joint Secretary Buddhika Vijayawardhana denied any undue influence by the union in these appointments.
Additionally, the CEBEU accused the former Minister and his associates of attempting to undermine the new leadership at the CEB through a smear campaign against the newly appointed Chairman and top officials of the current government.