Power cuts today as well, back to normal from tomorrow.

Operations to reactivate the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, which was completely shut down following a sudden system breakdown last Saturday that plunged the entire island into darkness, have now been expedited. According to its electrical engineers, preparations are already underway to re-add at least one 300-megawatt generator to the national power grid by tomorrow (22nd) afternoon.

If this recovery process is successful tomorrow, it will be a great relief to electricity consumers. Secretary to the Ministry of Power, Mr. G.M.R.D. Aponsu, confirmed to Hiru News that the National System Operator (NSO) has informed him that if at least one generator can be added to the system tomorrow, no further power cuts will be necessary.

However, consumers will still have to endure a one-hour power outage today (21st). The three-day permission granted by the Public Utilities Commission to implement this one-hour power cut between 4:30 PM and 8:30 PM to maintain the balance of the national system ends today.

The simultaneous shutdown of all three generators at the Norochcholai power plant, which resulted in a massive loss of 810 megawatts of electricity capacity to the national system, severely impacted the country's power supply. Although the country's daily electricity demand is usually close to 2800 megawatts, with the power cuts implemented yesterday, the total demand was recorded as 2589 megawatts.

The Public Utilities Commission states that no request has been received by its commission so far regarding the extension of power cuts beyond tomorrow. Meanwhile, a special discussion among officials of the National System Operator (NSO) is also scheduled to be held today to review the overall situation.