Allegations have been levelled against the top management of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) for allegedly manipulating the Renewable Energy Plan.
The plan, prepared by the CEB and incorporated into the Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP) 2023-2042, is allegedly being tampered with to facilitate two mega, unsolicited solar investments, as learnt by The Sunday Morning.
The controversial claims, brought to light last week, suggest a deliberate manipulation within the CEB’s top echelons to greenlight these massive solar projects.
It has been revealed that the two investments in question are the Samanalawewa floating solar project, with a capacity of 2,000 MW, and a 700 MW solar plant in Poonakary. Additionally, it has come to light that neither of these investments was part of the initial plans prepared by the CEB.
According to a senior CEB official closely connected to the subject, who wished to remain anonymous, these projects are being actively promoted by “so-called investors”.
The highest offices and the line ministry are purportedly exerting considerable pressure to fast-track these projects, issuing irreversible approvals such as the Letters of Intent (LOIs) at the earliest opportunity.
As learnt by The Sunday Morning, the Poonakary project is identified as a 700 MW solar initiative situated near Elephant Pass.
The senior CEB official, expressing concerns about the project, labelled it a potential environmental disaster. The chosen site, he claimed, was a water tank and paddy field, raising significant environmental concerns.
He expressed bewilderment regarding the lack of opposition from the local community, speculating that they may not be aware of the situation.
Additionally, the official questioned whether Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) had been conducted and cleared for the project. Notably, the Poonakary project involves the installation of 700 MW solar panels and 100 MW batteries.
The official alleged a possible violation of the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) Act, asserting that, according to the act, the project should pay a fee (resource allocation) to the SEA for the entire 700 MW capacity. However, under purported political pressure, the fee had allegedly been paid only for 100 MW, resulting in a significant financial discrepancy in the millions.
Similarly, the official drew attention to the proposed Samanalawewa solar project, claiming that the introduction of the floating 200 MW component could lead to the cessation of ongoing projects in the Hambantota area.
Meanwhile, CEB Chairman Nalinda Ilangakoon, when approached by The Sunday Morning, acknowledged the commencement of two mega solar development projects in Samanalawewa and Poonakary.
He asserted that, in the case of Samanalawewa, the CEB had initiated a tender process, while the Poonakary project resulted from an Expression of Interest (EOI) submitted by an Australian company.
Ilangakoon emphasised that when the originally identified projects faced obstacles or were not progressing for various reasons, there was no wrongdoing in prioritising projects that demonstrated feasibility. He underlined the need for flexibility in project selection to ensure the advancement of initiatives that were practically viable.
Furthermore, Ilangakoon clarified that the proposed Samanalawewa floating solar project would not result in the cessation of any ongoing projects in Hambantota. He assured that the projects committed to in Hambantota would continue without interruption, dispelling concerns raised by the senior CEB official regarding potential disruptions.
As outlined in the LTGEP, the CEB had embarked on the procurement of small-scale, scattered solar power projects from the private sector. This initiative falls under the second phase of the Government’s accelerated solar development programme.
Through an international competitive bidding process, the CEB has tendered solar power projects with capacities of 1 MW each for 60, 90, and 150 projects, strategically selected for specific grid substations.
As of 31 December 2021, a cumulative capacity of 49 MW has been successfully developed under this programme. The ambitious goal is to commission an additional cumulative capacity of 94 MW by 2023, with a further 147 MW anticipated by 2024 from these ongoing projects.
Looking ahead, the LTGEP plans to open up opportunities for investments in an additional 223 MW of grid-connected, partially-facilitated solar projects in the near future. These projects will be designed to seamlessly integrate with existing grid substations, ensuring efficient capacity absorption.
In parallel, the CEB’s LTGEP has outlined plans for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with capacities of 75 kW in proximity to identified distribution substations.
A comprehensive programme has identified 7,000 distribution substations for phased development, contributing to a cumulative capacity of 525 MW under this overarching solar development initiative.