India's Adani Group to develop 1,000 MW wind power project in Sri Lanka's Mannar

India’s Adani Group, owned by Ahmedabad-based business tycoon Gautam Adani, is to develop a 1,000 MW wind power project in Mannar in Sri Lanka, valued at over $ 1 billion. The Sunday Morning said that Adani is also looking at developing a second wind power project in another location in the Northern Province. The daily said that Adani Green Energy had submitted a proposal to the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) as well as the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

CEB Chairman M.M.C. Ferdinando confirmed to The Sunday Morning the receipt of the respective proposal. He explained that the BOI had referred the proposal to the Cabinet-appointed Management Committee on Investments (CAMCI), which was set up to fast track investment proposals.

According to Ferdinando, Adani’s proposal had received the approval from the CAMCI last week.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) would be drawn up by BOI and signed by the BOI Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) Chairman, Treasury Secretary, and CEB Chairman.

The proposed 1,000 MW wind energy project in Mannar would be at an investment of more than $ 1,000 million.

“We don’t know when it will be finalised, because after the MoU is signed, several regulatory authorities on renewable energy need to be consulted. We (CEB) are only the energy purchaser; the SEA is the energy developer and allocates resources. There are then other authorities such as the environmental authority for environmental clearance, and so on,” Ferdinando explained.

(SAM)