Sri Lanka, Feb. 24 -- Energy expert Dr. Vidura Ralapanawa has warned that the continued use of substandard imported coal at the Lakvijaya (Norochcholai) Power Plant could severely damage its generators and boilers, posing a serious threat to the country's power supply.

Addressing the media, he said that while the previously imported coal is still being used at the plant, a complete shift to newly imported coal will be required from March 1 as existing stocks run out.

Dr. Ralapanawa cautioned that the harmful composition of the new coal could cause long-term and extensive damage to the plant's machinery if used continuously.

"The coal brought from South Africa is currently being used only for a limited period of about 10 to 16 hours, as...