By. Ashoka Peiris
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared that the Mannar-Sri Lanka, Adani Wind Power Project will not move forward unless the pricing terms are revised to meet his government’s demands.
He criticized the agreement made by the former president, under which a wind power unit was to be sold to the Sri Lankan government for Rs. 25.
Dissanayake emphasized that continuing the project at these rates would be a crime, especially as Indian company Adani withdrew from the project due to the price disagreement.
The Sri Lankan government has reiterated that it will only reconsider the Adani Green Energy wind power projects if the Indian conglomerate agrees to lower the previously agreed pricing, Cabinet Spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa confirmed this week.
Adani Green Energy, a subsidiary of India’s Adani Group, had been set to invest $442 million to develop two wind power stations in Mannar and Pooneryn in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province.
However, last month, the group announced its withdrawal from the projects after Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration demanded a reduction in the electricity tariff from 8.26 US cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 6 US cents per kWh—a move Adani has so far refused to accept.
Despite Adani’s earlier withdrawal, a source with knowledge of the discussions confirmed that the company has now informed the Sri Lankan government that it is still open to implementing the project under the original terms.