Sri Lanka’s Longest Tunnel Releases Water for Upper Kotmale Hydro Electricity Project

18th January 2012, www.dailynews.lk

The ceremonial release of water into the tunnel of the Upper Kotmale hydro electricity project took place at the auspicious time of 11.20 am yesterday under the patronage of Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

Water for the Upper Kotmale project is supplied from the Kotmale Oya through a 13 km long tunnel with a 5.9 metre diameter from Talawakelle to Niyamgamdora by opening its main gate upto 10 centimetres and three cubic metres of water is carried per second through the tunnel.

A press release by the Power and Energy Ministry said engineers have planned to commence electricity generation on an experimental basis at Upper Kotmale by the end of this month.

The planned capacity of Upper Kotmale project is 150 megawatts and it will be connected to the national grid at a ceremony presided by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on March 27. With the connection of the Upper Kotmale project to the national grid the country’s total hydro electricity generation capacity which was 1,207.45 megawatts earlier will be increased to 1,357.45 megawatts. Yesterday’s ceremony was also attended by Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara, CEB Chairman Prof. Wimaladharma Abeywickrama, General Manager Nihal Wickramasuriya, Additional GM and Upper Kotmale Project Director Shavindranath Fernando.


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Upper Kotmale to Complete by Year End. 150MW Electricity to National Grid from the Last Mega Hydro Power Project in Sri Lanka

27th January 2011, , www.news360.lk

79% of the construction work of the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project has been completed, says the Ministry of Power and Energy.

Accordingly the 1st phase of the project which will add 150 Mega Watts of electricity to the national grid will be fully completed by end this year.

Upper Kotmale which is the last such mega hydro power project to take place in Sri Lanka is located in the Nuwara Eliya district and will be using the water flowing from the Kotmale Oya, a branch of the Mahaweli River.

The US$ 450 JICA funded Upper Kotmale Hydro power project was in the drawing board since 1985 and was expected to be fully operational in the early parts of 2000.

However pressure from area politicians citing socio-economic and environmental issues delayed the project.

Sri Lanka’s electricity demand is growing at 8% per Annum.

Related Info :
• Sri Lanka's Last Mega Hydro Power Project at Upper Kotmale to Compelete by 2011

Sri Lanka's Last Mega Hydro Power Project at Upper Kotmale to Compelete by 2011

30th May 2010, www.news360.lk

The construction work of the Upper Kotmale Hydro power project, the last such mega hydro power plant to take place in Sri Lanka will see its completion by the 3rd quarter of 2011.

Project Director Shavindranath Fernando told www.news360.lk “by the 3rd quarter of 2011, the project will be completed”

Once completed the plant will add 150 MW into the national grid, which according to energy specialist Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya will contribute 3.5% of the country’s total electricity requirement for the year 2012.

He said “By 2012 the total electricity requirement of the country will be 12,800 million units and if Upper Kotmale operates by that time, it will contribute 430 million units to the total figure”.

The UKHP is located in the Nuwara Eliya district and will be using the water flowing from the Kotmale Oya, a branch of the Mahaweli Ganga.

The US$ 450 JICA funded Upper Kotmale Hydro power project was in the drawing board since 1985 and was expected to be fully operational in the early parts of 2000.

However pressure from area politicians citing socio-economic and environmental issues delayed the project.

Project Director Fernando said ”all these issues are resolved”.

497 families who lost their homes owing to the project has being settled down in new homes.

Sri Lanka’s electricity demand is growing at 8% per annum.