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Renewable energy plants in Jaffna islands: Govt. yet to decide between India and China

21 Feb 2021

  • Chinese tender not cancelled: Dullas

  Sri Lanka is yet to take a decision on the proposed hybrid renewable energy systems project on three islands off the coast of the Jaffna peninsula, as to whether the project should be given to India or China, The Sunday Morning learnt. It is learnt that India has requested a project proposal from Sri Lanka on the power project and that the project is yet to be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers. The energy deal won by the Chinese company to set up three hybrid renewable energy systems mixed with solar, wind, and other renewables on three islands in the Jaffna peninsula came to light amid creeping signs of deterioration in the relations between India and Sri Lanka due to the cancellation of the long-awaited Colombo Port’s East Container Terminal (ECT) deal by the Cabinet recently. It has been decided that the $ 12 million project will be awarded to the MS/Sinosar-Etechwin joint venture in China. Under the project, international competitive bids were called to install hybrid renewable energy systems on the three islands, utilising the accessible energy resources to improve the efficiency of the prevailing energy network. The project is to be funded by the Asian Development Bank, it is learnt. When contacted by The Sunday Morning, Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma said that no decision has been taken as of yet. When queried as to whether the Chinese tender has been cancelled, the Minister said that no such decision has been taken by the Government. He stressed that a wrong impression has been given by several media outlets that the three islands are going to be sold, which he claimed is untrue. Meanwhile, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Chairman Eng. Vijitha Herath told The Sunday Morning that the decision to award such projects to develop hybrid renewable energy systems was taken considering the success of a pilot project conducted in Eluvaitivu, an island off the coast of the Jaffna peninsula, located approximately 22 km (14 miles) west of the town of Jaffna.


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