India and Sri Lanka will jointly build a 135-MW solar power facility in phases in the port area of Trincomalee, as Sri Lanka concentrates on renewable energy sources.

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The national thermal power company of India has teamed with the Ceylon Electricity Board, and the first stage of the project would be a 50-MW solar power plant project to be finished in two years.

India and Sri Lanka have agreed to jointly develop in two phases a 135-megawatt solar power facility in the island nation’s eastern port town of Trincomalee to promote renewable energy. Sri Lankan Cabinet has granted clearance for the project as the government intends to produce 70 percent of its power demand by 2030 from renewable energy sources.

The National Thermal Power Corporation of India and the Ceylon Electricity Board have agreed to jointly undertake a solar power project in two phases,” read a note from the Cabinet meeting held this week.

As the first stage of this project, it is expected to implement a solar power project of 50 megawatts with a total estimated investment of USD 42.5 million and to construct a 220 kilowatts transmission line with 40-km length from Sampoor to Kappalthure spending USD 23.6 million. It is expected to complete this stage in two years from 2024 to 2025,” it said.

A solar power production facility with an extra 85 megawatts is anticipated to be erected with a total expenditure of USD 72 million during the second stage of this project, the note added.

The Indian government has shown the desire to develop and enhance collaboration in the renewable energy sector by running and supporting power production projects employing solar and wind power, including coastal wind and biomass, it added.

India would also offer continuous transmission of infrastructure in regions where agreed upon in Sri Lanka including the northern and eastern provinces in partnership with private and state entrepreneurs in India and Sri Lanka, the memo stated.

A 2013 deal with NTPC to develop a thermal power station in Sampur was subsequently abandoned amid concerns about the environmental dangers of utilizing coal for electricity production.