Bid for 3-fold increase in hydropower

SL to be less dependent on fuel power generation:

Sandasen MARASINGHE

The Power and Energy Ministry is taking measures to increase the hydropower generation capacity threefold to insulate the country’s power generation from the fossil fuel crisis and provide an uninterrupted supply of electricity.

A ministry source said that Sri Lanka has a 1,200 MW hydro power generating capacity and the ministry has planned to set up nine hydropower generating projects, increasing the capacity by another 3,500 MW, drastically dropping the use of heavy fuel in power generation. The source said that the South Korean government which has the best hydropower management technology in the world, has promised to provide the know-how relating to the pump water storage system as well as funds for feasibility tests.

He added that as Sri Lanka is rich in water resources, this could be used in hydropower generation and nine locations have been identified for the pump water storage system.

The sources said that the daily requirement of power in Sri Lanka is 2,032 MW and the contribution of hydropower to this is around 15 percent.

He added the most significant feature of this technology is that the water used in hydropower generation is stored in a reservoir in a lower gradient rather than releasing them to sea.

“The same water is later pumped back to the reservoir at the upper elevation. The CEB could save more than 75 percent of heavy fuel usage in power generation during the peak hours,” the source said.

He said that with the establishment of such a system, solar and wind energy could be added to the national grid for a continuous output which is also an additional benefit.

He added that this type of power generation projects would enable the government to provide electricity to the people at a stable price though the price of fuel in the world market fluctuates.

The source said that the South Korean government is the only country that uses this technology and promised to provide this technology to Sri Lanka after discussions between Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka and South Korean Knowledge Economy Minister Seok Cho in South Korea.