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Norochcholai: Swiss firm says Chinese equipment comes at a price
By Shelani Perera
The Government would have to incur an additional expenditure of US $ 100 million on the Norochcholai coal power plant as it has agreed to use Chinese equipment which reportedly does not conform to international standards, The Sunday Times learns.

This was the opinion of a Swiss-based company Electro Watt when it gave what is known as an ‘Engineers Estimate’ prepared for the proposed coal power plant.

As the project is funded by the Chinese Government it is accepted that the equipment to be used for the project comes from China, a CEB source said.
The Swiss company has stated that the Chinese equipment would cost US$ 100 million more than other international equipment.

The Sunday Times learns that as a requirement elaborate testing is done on equipment based on certain technical specifications. However as Chinese equipment which does not meet international standard is to be used it was not carried out.

The Government has reportedly ignored the ‘Engineers Estimate’.
Following contradictory views on the Chinese standard equipment the Technical Evaluation Team and the Tender Board Committee appointed a Committee comprising CEB engineers to submit a report on the Chinese standard equipment to be used for the project.

Two senior engineers on the committee gave detesting reports on the equipment based on the impact the equipment would have on the environment and the functioning of the plant.

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