CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

INDIAN POWER COMPANY ABANDONS SAMPOOR AND CURRENTLY EXAMINING KAPPALTURAI FOR POWER PLANT

By Walter Jayawardhana

The National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd, the Indian power company which was originally scheduled to build a coal fired power station at Sampoor due to “political sensitivities” has abandoned the location and now examining an alternate place proposed by the Sri Lanka government , the company said.

India’s External Affairs Ministry and the the Indian power company abandoned the Sampoor location in the Trincomalee District due to the “political sensitive nature” of the location and is now examining an alternative site the company told Indian media.

The proxy party of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , the Tamil National Alliance has opposed building the 500 MW Thermal power station at Sampoor which is going to be jointly owned by the Indian company , NTPC, and the Ceylon Electricity Board.

The Indian company said the new site for the power station is a place North of Kappalthurai and initial clearence from the Sri Lankan security agencies have been done for the location. Indian government has said the details of the security arrangements are being finalized by the Sri Lanka government and India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The indo-Lanka joint venture to be built in Trincomalee District was entered into by the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Indian company, NTPC at the end of last year . According to the agreement two stages of the 250 MW each will be owned on a 50-50 basis by the two companies.
Sampoor was vacated by the Sri Lanka security forces after it was captured from the LTTE during the initial stages of chasing out the separatist group from the Eastern Province to make way for the power station. But the TNA was opposed to the proposition.

“In view of the political sensitiveness of the original site, we had been seeking a change of location for the station. The new site is currently being examined,” an Indian government official was quoted having said.

The Indian company said it was looking forward to import coal to run the station from Australia and Indonesia. According to NTPC estimates around 2.5 million metric tonnes of coal will be fired to produce electricity at the station.

Disclaimer: The comments contained within this website are personal reflection only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the LankaWeb. LankaWeb.com offers the contents of this website without charge, but does not necessarily endorse the views and opinions expressed within. Neither the LankaWeb nor the individual authors of any material on this Web site accept responsibility for any loss or damage, however caused (including through negligence), which you may directly or indirectly suffer arising out of your use of or reliance on information contained on or accessed through this Web site.
All views and opinions presented in this article are solely those of the surfer and do not necessarily represent those of LankaWeb.com. .

BACK TO LATEST NEWS

DISCLAIMER