Status: Proposed
Timeframe: 2026-2027
Area: Sri Lanka, Sampur
AIIB Investment Amount: 20 million USD
Total Project Cost: 144 million USD
Co-financier: ADB
E&S Category: B
Project details:
The project aims to reduce Sri Lanka’s reliance on hydrocarbon imports by supporting the development of a 120 MW solar photovoltaic plant in Sampur. Implemented by TPCL, a joint venture between Ceylon Electricity Board and India’s NTPC, the project will be built in two phases and financed through a mix of sovereign and non-sovereign loans led by AIIB and co-financed by ADB.
Project Concerns: (findings from NGO Forum on ADB's "AIIB Observer" linked below)
The Sampur Solar Project raises concerns over land acquisition, loss of livelihoods, and weak community engagement. A 38 km transmission line may impact forests and farmland, yet the ESIA remains incomplete. Communities report low awareness, and grievance mechanisms remain untested. The project risks replicating patterns of exclusion and displacement seen in other AIIB-financed energy projects. Critics warn that partnerships with companies like NTPC reflect a corporate-led model of renewable energy that sidelines local voices and environmental justice in favor of top-down development.
Organization monitoring: NGO Forum on ADB
Further information: AIIB Page; AIIB Observer Vol. 3
Last update: 09.07.2025