Minister of Energy Kumara Jayakody today said that the wind power project planned with India’s Adani Group has not been officially canceled.
The Minister made this statement during the first meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Energy which took place recently at the Parliament.
Minister Jayakody explained that while the pricing of the project proposed by Adani Group was deemed high, the matter had been referred to the Cabinet for further reconsideration.
This referral came after the Adani Group’s parent company had informed the Sri Lankan Board of Investment (BOI) about its withdrawal from the project.
Despite the withdrawal notice, Minister Jayakody clarified that discussions continued with the local representative institution of Adani in Sri Lanka.
He said that the institution had been instructed to review the situation, and a response to this request is expected within two weeks.
The Minister emphasized that only if the response is negative will the government consider alternative options for the wind power initiative.
Minister Jayakody pointed out that future energy projects would be handled through government-to-government (G2G) agreements and competitive procurement processes, ensuring greater transparency and fairness in the selection of contractors.
CEB vacancies
In addition to the wind power project, the Ministerial Consultative Committee also addressed the issue of vacancies in the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), particularly the shortage of engineers.
Officials noted that many engineers had migrated abroad during the recent economic crisis, contributing to a shortage of skilled professionals.
However, it was revealed that Cabinet approval had been obtained to fill these vacancies in three phases, with recruitment for the first batch already underway.
The meeting also covered concerns regarding unexpected power outages.
Officials explained that even minor fluctuations in the electricity system could lead to instability, and efforts are currently underway to enhance system stability by incorporating alternative energy sources, such as solar power.
Another important issue discussed was the maintenance of streetlights across the country.
The Committee highlighted the inadequate maintenance and stressed the need for collaboration between local government institutions and the CEB to address this ongoing problem.
The Minister assured that a policy regarding streetlight maintenance would be finalized within two months.
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