President and AKD clash over renewable energy projects

President 

Ranil Wickremesinghe

NPP leader Anura 

Kumara Dissanayake

• NPP leader questions cabinet’s move to approve purchasing one unit of electricity from proposed Poonekeryn solar energy project at Rs. 50 
• Accuses Govt. of granting energy projects without following accepted tender procedures 
• Questions if country should be treated as an inheritance for its leaders
• President responds by claiming certain parties are against renewable energy as they will lose commissions from coal and fuel energy projects
• Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera invites Dissanayake to public debate

President Ranil Wickremesinghe and National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake clashed in Parliament yesterday after Dissanayake questioned the cabinet’s move to approve purchasing one unit of electricity from the proposed Poonekeryn solar energy project at Rs. 50 per unit.

The NPP leader questioned on what basis the price was agreed on and accused the Government of granting projects to investors without following accepted tender procedures. 

The President responded by claiming that certain parties express views against renewable energy projects because they stand to lose the opportunity to obtain commissions through energy projects focused on fuel and coal. 

The President noted that certain engineers from the Ceylon Electricity Board raised objections to the development of a 700 MW solar power plant equipped with a 100% battery energy storage system and the construction of essential transmission lines from Poonekryn Lake to the Kilinochchi new grid substation. The President claimed these protests from the engineers contributed to the current situation, the country finds itself in.

 “There are commissions from coal and fuel while no commissions are offered for solar and wind,” Wickremesinghe said. 

The NPP leader interjected questioning President Wickremesinghe as to who obtained commissions for coal and fuel power generation projects. He said the commission reports into coal and diesel power generation scams identify the culprits.

The President said while politicians merely shout about these things, there are a few officials who reap undue benefits from these projects. “No matter who is the Minister, there are a few officials who are engaged in these activities,” he said. 

Dissanayake remarked that the Ministers are inclined to retain these officials in their positions because they are unable to dissuade them from stealing, given that they are engaged in such activities.

The NPP leader questioned the need to purchase one unit of solar electricity for Rs. 50, expressing citizens’ expectations for cheaper electricity from wind and solar power generation. While expressing disapproval of coal, he highlighted that coal-generated electricity costs Rs. 22 per unit. He emphasised that it is not the engineers behind these decisions, as no tenders have been called for these long-term projects. The NPP leader suggested that the government should award these projects through a tender process and criticised how such projects contribute to worsening the power crisis in the country.

He further criticised these investments, noting that they do not resemble true investments. He pointed out the example of the Adani group being granted a project in Sri Lanka without a tender process, contrary to their practices in their home country where projects require tender submissions. The NPP leader questioned whether the country should be treated as an inheritance for its leaders to act in such a manner.

Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera joined in the verbal duel rejecting all allegations levelled by Dissanayake and challenged the latter for a public debate.