Attorney General approves Sampur project

The Attorney General’s office has approved the proposed 500 mw thermal power plant at Sampur, Trincomalee, to be built by India in consultation with the Ceylon Electricity Board, an Indian media report said today.

The approval has been granted around six years after the project was conceived and two years after a joint venture company was formed to take it forward. The AG go-ahead was a major hurdle for the project, particularly considering the two neighbouring countries are not in the best of relations. “With the AG’s office giving the go-ahead, the approval from the power ministry is expected soon, while a revised Power Purchase Agreement has been worked upon,” said an official at India’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). The project is estimated to cost about $500 million, with NTPC and Ceylon Electricity Board having 50% stake each.