Srilanka to construct 200 mini-hydropower projects in the island

Measures are in place to construct 200 mini-hydropower projects in the island, Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

The country has already tapped almost all the mass scale hydropower generation capacities and now focused on small scale hydropower generators and the other regenerative methods for power generation, Minister Ranawaka added.

Opening the country's first community hydropower plant, which generates 18 kilowatt in Kaduaruwandola, Athuraliya recently, the Minister pointed out that small scale hydropower projects provide great assistance by adding to the national grid to supply electricity to rural areas.

The Minister said that the private sector has implemented around 100 mini-hydropower projects in Sri Lanka.

Ceylon Electricity Board has identified around 600 small scale hydropower projects which are capable of adding around 500 MW of power to the national grid.