Barge Mounted Power Station

Barge Mounted Power Plant is a thermal power station with total installed capacity of 60MW. This power plant is located inside the Colombo Port premises.

Figure 1: Barge Mounted Power Plant


Barge Mounted Power Plant consists of 04 nos. 15.6MW Mitsui MAN B&W 12K50MC-S two strokes diesel engines manufactured by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., Japan. Out of Diesel power plants in CEB, this is the only plant with two stroke diesel engines. Each engine is coupled with a 19.6 MVA salient pole synchronous generator manufactured by Meidensha Corporation, Japan. Barge Mounted Power Plant was acquired by CEB on 21st September, 2015 and was started its operation under CEB management on 01st December, 2015 after operating as an IPP for a period of around 15 years.

Figure 2: View of an Engine

Figure 3: Unit Overhauling work


Heavy Fuel Oil of 1500 Sec. (1000F) viscosity purchased from Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, delivered through a pipeline from Kolonnawa Installation is used as the fuel. Exhaust gas of two engines is used to produce steam which is utilized to increase the temperature of HFO so that correct fuel viscosity is maintained. The cleaning/separation of fuel and lubricating oil is done by centrifugal separators.


Each engine generates electricity at 11kV and stepped-up to 220kV by a 80MVA transformer manufactured by ABB Elta Ltd., Poland and transmitted to Kelanitissa 220kV Grid Sub Station via underground cable. The unit cost of the plant is 22.57 Rs./kWh, which is the second lowest among CEB thermal power plants.

Figure 4: Step Up Transformers