A total of seven companies have submitted Expressions of Interest for the proposed new refinery in Hambantota.

Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said the technical evaluation committee and other procurement committees will evaluate the expression of interest submitted by the said companies and will issue the request for proposal to suitable applicants.

According to the Minister, before the deadline yesterday, companies from Nigeria, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Iran, and Sri Lanka submitted EOIs for the refinery.

Furthermore, a joint bid from an entity in Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates has also been submitted