By: Staff Writer
June 11, Colombo (LNW): India has agreed to build three Sri Lankan wind farms on islets shared by the two countries, marking a victory for New Delhi after the project was pulled away from a Chinese business.
New Delhi has long been concerned about the region’s expanding Chinese influence.This can be considered a success for India after the project was taken away from a Chinese corporation.
A Chinese company was given a $12 million project to erect wind turbines on three small islands in the Palk Strait between southern India and Sri Lanka, with money from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
However, construction on the project on the islets of Nainativu, Analaitivu, and Delft was never started, and the project on the islets of Nainativu, Analaitivu, and Delft was ultimately cancelled.
Sri Lanka has awarded the contract to implement a solar –wind hybrid power project in three islands off the Jaffna peninsula 50 kms away from the Tamil Nadu’s coast to an Indian company U-Solar Clean Energy Solutions following its comeback to take over the task.
The relevant tender has been awarded to Indian Company although it has formally withdrawn their bid from the bidding process and later expressed willingness to take over the project, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) Engineer Ranjith Sepala said
In a landmark collaboration, UK-based Ryse Energy, the global leader in distributed renewable energy systems with over 180,000 installations across all seven continents, and U-Solar, one of India’s fastest growing solar EPC and developers, have signed an agreement for the development of hybrid renewable energy systems, he disclosed.
He said that U-Solar Clean Energy was the only bidder for the tender and the Indian Company t was selected by the cabinet approved standing procurement committee.
Moreover India has offered to fund the US$ 12 million project with a grant and also execute it, he said adding that considering the benefits of the Indian proposal, the power and energy ministry has decided call for tender from prospective bidders of India in accordance with the $10 million grant agreement.
The selected Indian company U-solar has already provided $ 1million bid bond Chairman of SLSEA Eng Ranjith Sepala disclosed pointing out that there was no issue relating to the deal as there was only one bidder for the tender.
The cabinet meeting on December 11 last year decided to award the contract to U Solar Clean Energy Solutions (Pvt) Ltd to build hybrid recycled power plants in Delft, Nainathivu, and Analathivu suspending awarded to Sinosoar-Etechwin Joint Venture in China, to execute the same project.
