Sampur coal power project to be sealed [May 21 2013]

India’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is all set to ink an agreement for the execution of the proposed 2 x 250 MW Sampur power project in Trincomalee in Sri Lanka by early next month, as the differences over operation and maintenance charges and issues relating to gross heat rate in the power purchase agreement have been sorted out.

“NPTC is all set to take up the project in right earnest. We have deputed a senior official to be posted in Sri Lanka for the project. All issues have been resolved and we are hopeful that a formal agreement will be signed in the first or second week of June,” a senior official, who refused to be identified, told The Hindu .

The urgency to resolve the issues came after the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Ashok Kantha, sent a communication to Power Secretary P. Umashankar, seeking intervention of his Ministry to impress upon NTPC to sort out the issues at the earliest.

The project is part of India’s efforts to exert economic and strategic influence in the neighbourhood by developing infrastructure.