The Timor-Leste capital Dili's Chinese-built main heavy oil power plant at Hera, about 15 km from the city, still remains at the centre of controversy.

A fact-based page by the advocacy group La'o Hamutuk (Timor-Leste Institute for Development Monitoring and Analysis) cites many critical performance reports and is headed: "Mega-project or mega problem?"

Little has been in the pubic domain in recent months, but according to review documents cited by LH, the supervising consultancy ELC/Bonifica said in a report in January 2012:

"The overall performance of the Contractor CNI22 [Chinese Nuclear Industry Construction Company No. 22 [responsible for the high-voltage national transmission grid], remains poor in particular for the quality of finishing works. Despite of continuous warnings done by the Consultant [E/B], the situation does not improve."

The report also said three (out of seven) generating sets from the Hera plant were operating, using diesel fuel unloaded at Tibar port to the west of Dili.

"During January 2012, the Hera plant consumed 3.7 million litres of high-speed diesel fuel, with around 100,000 litres being trucked across Dili to Hera almost every day."

In a casual visit to the Hera plant construction depot byCafe Pacific this week, the security guard was asleep. In response to a request to take a series of photos, this blog was referred to on-site Chinese consultancy officials who said: "You need official permission from the government."

Photographs were taken anyway. Some of the images are here and others are in the Timor-Leste gallery on David Robie's media Facebook page. Visiting the Hera power plant itself, the soldier on duty also fell asleep.