Sources say that samples from two more coal ships sent to the country by the controversial Trident Chemphar company have failed tests.
The coal supplied by this company was confirmed to be substandard on three previous occasions, and thus five of the coal shipments supplied by the company so far have been confirmed to be substandard.
These samples were tested by the laboratory named ‘Cotecna’, appointed by the Lakvijaya Power Plant to test the quality of the coal shipments.
According to the tender specifications, the thermal generation capacity of the coal should be between 5,900 and 6,150 GCV. However, the coal samples brought from ships 12, 13 and 14 had a gross calorific value (GCV) of less than 4,800.
A lower calorific value of a coal stock means that more coal has to be burned to produce one unit of electricity. Trident has already been fined US$8.1 million for substandard coal supplied.
However, despite the ongoing delays in deliveries and the supply of substandard coal, the authorities have not yet taken steps to cancel the contract with the company.