The opposition leader said that the government is ready to start a 700 MW solar power project on the surface of the Punakari Lake using United Solar Energy and there are many hidden details behind the project. Sri Lanka Latest News
Under this development, the construction of necessary transmission line lines from Punakari Lake to the new Kilinochchi grid substation and the development of a 700 MW solar power plant with 100% battery energy storage capacity is optimistic as a concept, but another created in the name of renewable energy that operates without a formal transparent procurement system. The opposition leader also emphasized that it is a scam of the highest order in the power sector.
Opposition leader Mr. Sajith Premadasa said this in a special statement.
The 700 MW solar power plant and the construction of transmission lines with 100% battery storage capacity have been handed over to United Solar Energy with cabinet approval and this company is only engaged in the distribution of solar panels and its representative activities. The opposition leader said that no country in the world has created such an experience.
This is a company with no experience
This is a company with no experience
Also, this company in Australia has not done any kind of battery storage project and it has the largest 400 MW solar power plant in Queensland, Australia, but this is a French company c. The opposition leader said that the government has given United Solar, which has no experience, to establish a 700-megawatt solar power plant.
Also, although the battery storage facility in Australia is 1 gigawatt hour, United Solar Energy Institute is expected to set up a 1.5-gigawatt battery storage system in Sri Lanka and if a million 700-watt panels are used, 700 megawatts can be generated and for that, at least 782 acres are required. The opposition leader further emphasized that the organization that has been selected to implement this project has no experience in carrying out a large-scale project.
There is a suspicion that it is a plan to seize land in Sri Lanka
The opposition leader said that although the lifespan of a solar panel is 25 years, the lifespan of the project is estimated to be 35 years, so 10 more years have been requested, and it is doubtful whether 782 acres of land in our country will be cultivated for another 10 years after this project.
A company with an unqualified board of directors
And there is a person named Richard Vagas as the head of this company and he is a distributor of solar panels. In addition, there is a person named Tangalle Sujeewa Nishantha as the accountant and a person named Kero Thilakaratne is on the board of directors, but that person is a property dealer in Victoria and the other director named Alex Chandrasiri is a hotel owner in Victoria. The opposition leader emphasized that the person involved is a manager and the other person named Shan Balasuriya is a web designer in Victoria.
Although this should happen in the competitive system, a named company cannot carry out such a large-scale project and the president and the relevant minister spoke about this in the parliament and giving it to an organization that does not have this kind of experience raises doubts as to whether the permit will be sold to another company. The opposition leader added that it was a shameless act for the cabinet to approve the agreements.
This is purely a corrupt deal
When the Sri Lanka Electricity Amendment Act No. 16 of 2022 was introduced, even though the opposition proposed that the tender system should be implemented for renewable energy projects operating beyond 10 MW, the government rejected it and in this transaction, it has been proven that such corrupt practices of the government The opposition leader further said that he is displeased with the proceedings and will take all necessary measures for this.
The opposition leader further emphasized that this revelation is being made especially because of the intention of Samagi Jana Balavega to defeat corruption, fraud and theft in the bankrupt country.
