Construction of a solar farm worth Rs 5 billion – CorexSolar attempts a third and final forcing: Rs 37.8 million in penalties imposed on the Reunion company to date

Less than a month before the deadline of March 19, which marks the limit for the Reunion company CorexSolar to obtain land for the construction of a solar farm with a capacity of 30 megawatts, valued at Rs 5 billion , management is intensifying its efforts with the Central Electricity Board (CEB). She encountered two obstacles in her attempts to secure land for this project. The first obstacle concerned land belonging to the Terra company, forcing CorexSolar representatives to look for another site in the Baie-du-Tombeau region. However, after several rounds of discussions with the owner, it was concluded that the company should also abandon the idea of ​​using this land. So, she turned to a third site, also located in the north of the country, and informed the CEB management. The latter met last week to examine this third option proposed by CorexSolar.

To this end, the organization requested to obtain preliminary documents that could prove that this land could actually be obtained before the fateful date of March 19. “We want to ensure that CorexSolar does not find itself in difficulty again with the owner of this land,” indicates a source close to the matter within the CEB.

Thus, it is this Monday, February 12 that CorexSolar should send the documents relating to the land as well as its exact geographical location. A CEB team will be responsible for carefully examining these documents in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises. If there is the slightest doubt, the CEB could then be advised to take the necessary measures, according to a member of the organization's management.

Despite CorexSolar's efforts to secure its third site, it is crucial to note the significant financial consequences the company has suffered since November 14. Due to delays in obtaining the land needed for its solar farm construction project, CorexSolar is facing financial penalties amounting to Rs 420,000 per day. These penalties, imposed by the CEB, aim to compensate for the delays and inconvenience caused by non-compliance with contractual deadlines. So far, these penalties have generated considerable revenue for the CEB, totaling an amount of Rs 37,800,000.

Within the parliamentary opposition, we insist on the fact that the contract was awarded to CorexSolar in February 2023, and a year later, the Reunion company is still doing acrobatics to obtain this land. These shortcomings are, according to the opposition, responsible for Mauritius' significant delay in its energy transition.