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Japanese aid for Upper Kotmale on way

by Ranil Wijayapala

The agreement for the funding for the 150 MW Upper Kotmale hydro power project will be signed next week between the Governments of Japan and Sri Lanka to commence the construction work within next two months, Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya said.

The hydro power project to be completed in six years is expected to inject an additional 534 million units of power to the national Grid annually, an official of the Ceylon Electricity Board said.

The Japanese Government will fund this 150 MW power station by providing a Japanese Yen 33 billion soft loan to be repaid within 40 years. This includes a 10 year grace period and the interest rate will be less than one per cent.

The engineering services feasibility for the Upper Kotmale project was completed in 1994.

However, environmental clearance for the project was given only in March 2000 due to protests by environmentalists regarding the decrease of water flowing to two major waterfalls St. Clares and Devon.

According to the engineering feasibility study the proposed hydro power project will be set up in the upper stream of the Kotmale Oya after constructing regulation ponds.

There will be dams across Devon Oya, St. Andrew Stream, Kuda Oya, Pundulu Oya, Puna Oya, Ramboda Oya, Dusiane Oya and Kotmale Oya to feed these regulation ponds.

The Upper-Kotmale project will be the first hydro power project to be constructed using this technique, the official added.

The waters of this regulation ponds will be sent through 13 Km long tunnels to the underground power house to operate two turbines 75 MW each (150 MW). The power station will feed the National Grid by adding 534 million units of power annually.

Water will be released for the Devon fall 10 hours during day time and water for the St. Clares fall will be released ten times (30 minutes each time) a day to keep these water falls alive, the official added.

Nearly 500 families affected by the project in the Thalawakele area will be provided with modern housing facilities at a separate site.

"Since the economic background of theses affected families are so poor the new project will be a blessing for these people", he added.

The environment clearance for the project has been given on the grounds of improving the forest cover in the catchment areas of the reservoirs.

This is the first time such conditions are imposed on the CEB when implementing a hydro power project. Accordingly, the CEB will allocate Rs.100 million for improving the required forest cover, the official added.

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