DEVELOPMENT

Kotmale hydropower to national grid this month

Shirajiv Sirimane in Kotmale

The Upper Kotmale Hydropower Plant (UKHP) will go down in the history of Sri Lanka as one of the most time consuming power projects to be ever completed.

Politics controversies, environmental issues, resettlement and funding marred this project since it was discussed way back in the 1960’s when UNDP initially identified its potential.

Several political leaders shunned this project since they thought it was too hot to handle and it would have negative impacts for their reelection due to its controversy.

Since Sri Lankans are paying the highest electricity bill in the region and are heavily dependent of thermal power a cheap energy source is a crying need. It was due to this factor that the government decided to review this project and after almost half a century since the first day it was identified in the Mahaweli Master Plan subsequent to a UNDP and FAO Study.

History

The Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project (UKHP) was conceived with the preparation of a master plan for hydroelectric development in the Mahaweli Basin in 1968. The concepts in the master plan were further studied in 1985-1987 when the Japanese government funded a feasibility study to examine hydropower options in the upper reaches of Kotmale Oya (Stream). Five sites and eight alternative development schemes were examined in the feasibility study and the report concluded that the development of two sites were technically and economically feasible. The two sites were a reservoir type development at Caledonia and a run of river project at Talawakelle. The project at Caledonia involved the displacement of 2700 families and inundation of large area of tea land.

The Japanese government then provided further funding for the Engineering Service Study, which included the review of the feasibility study, selection of the optimal development plan, the development of the detailed design and preparation of Tender Documents and an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). The EIAR was issued in September 1994. The Final Design Report was completed in March 1995. The Environmental Impact Assessment identified key issues associated with the UKHP such as, impacts on waterfall aesthetics due to stream flow reductions, social impacts due to resettlement of affected people, possible effects on ground water due to tunnelling, impacts due to de-watering of streams on down stream water uses and impacts on biodiversity.

Further detailed studies on alternatives were completed in 1996 and the Forestry and Environment Ministry Secretary granted approval for the project under the National Environment Act in July 1998 subject to strict adoption of proposed mitigatory measures to minimise possible environmental impacts, which included the development of a watershed management plan, maintenance of daytime flows over the waterfalls, monitoring of groundwater levels, an assessment of biodiversity, management of tunnel waste and a resettlement programme.

This decision was challenged in the Court of Appeal in October 1998. The Forestry and Environment Ministry Secretary gave final order in March 2000, subsequent to the settlement of the appeal. The government secured financial support in March 2002 from the Japanese government to implement the project, signing of Loan Agreement in 2002 and soon it would add the first 75 MW to the National Power Grid under its first phase.

Project funding

The Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project is funded by the Japanese government on an Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) loan executed between the two governments on March 28, 2002. The loan is extended to Sri Lanka by Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Loan Agreement No. SL - P74. The details of the loan are as follows. JBIC Provides Special Yen (ODA) Loan of 33,265 million yen to Sri Lanka to Support Stable Power Supply.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC; Governor: Kyosuke Shinozawa) signed a loan agreement with the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka for a total loan of up to 33,265 million yen to be used for the Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project being implemented by the Ceylon Electricity Board.

Benefits

When completed Upper Kotmale Hydro Electricity Project which was launched in 2006 is expected to produce 409 million units of electricity annually. The UKHP located in the Nuwara Eliya district will be using the water flowing from the Kotmale Oya, a branch of the Mahaweli River and there is an assurance that the waterfalls around the area would not dry up. Prior to commencement of construction activities in 2003, a Comprehensive Environmental Management Plan (EMP) was prepared. This EMP served to provide supporting information to the tender process so ensuring that the environmental responsibilities of the contractors are known from the beginning.

The water of the Kotmale Oya will be diverted from the head pond through the intake, from which the water enters into the headrace tunnel (about 13 km long). The headrace tunnel conveys the water to the powerhouse cavern, through the inclined penstock tunnel, where two Francis turbine units will be installed.

Nearly 500 families were relocated and they have all beeing resettled with better living conditions in new homes. Housing and other infrastructure facilities provided for them are of very high standard. A majority of the 495 displaced families belong to the plantation community. Many of them were living in tin-roofed line rooms which had one verandah and a room with no separate kitchen or bathroom facility, forced to use one bathroom by several families. The Project has also constructed three new Kovils, and two Christian Churches to replace those affected by the project acquisition.

Giving these villages a new lifestyle too was another indirect benefit from the project. Talawakelle area will also be developed as a tourism zone, with St Clair Falls being the main attraction. A viewing deck too is to being constructed.

The Upper Kotmale Project will provide five percent of country’s power requirement annually providing 409 GW hours of electricity.

The project will save Rs 8 billion per year. It has no negative impact on the environment.

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