Wind Power project already awarded to Adani Group – Energy Minister

Refuting reports about India’s Adani Group’s links to the Electricity Bill, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said today (June 09) that Cabinet approval has already been granted to the renewable energy project as a government to government project between India and Sri Lanka.

He told Parliament that Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) were bound to award the permit to Adani Group,which was nominated by India.

“Cabinet approval to the renewable energy project was granted on March 8. I was not a member of the Cabinet at that time. This is a government to government project,”he said.

The Minister said Adani Group proposed in their feasibility report that they could generate 620 MW through the Wind Power Project in Mannar and Poonaryn and that it was proposed in the report that a unit cost would be US$ 0.7.

“After signing the MoU with the Adani Group, it was asked to submit a feasibility report and they had proposed that they could generate 620 MWs exceeding the proposed 500MW. We have the agreement for 500 MW. The Company has also proposed a unit rate of US$ 0.7. However, we have not agreed to that rate. The rate is decided by a committee. They can negotiate the rate,” he said.

(Source: Daily Mirror – By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)