Hydropower unit of Uma oya project nearing completion

COLOMBO (News 1^st) - Engineers on the Uma Oya Multi-Purpose Development Project say the hydropower component of the project should be completed in the near future. Upon completion, the hydro-power plant will add 120 Megawatts to the national grid. While excavation of the main tunnel of the Uma Oya project has been stalled due to a leak, 80%of the work on the underground hydro-power plant has been completed. The pipeline carrying water from Puhulpola connects directly to the Karadaglla tunnel. According to the Chief Site Engineer, the water that is carried along the tunnel for 15 kilometers, drops 620 meters at this point. He added that this pressure spins the turbines at the bottom. Preparing the pipeline system to power the generators at the underground power plant is a complex affair.The security officer of the Karadagolla Site of the Uma Oya Project, N. Chandu stated that the oxygen cylinders have been positioned here and in the event of an incident it will take 15 minutes to extract the cylinders. An Austrian company has already affixed the generators for the underground power plant. The 120 megawatts of electricity generated here is carried to the Randeniya transmission center. The water used for hydropower generation is thereafter diverted for agricultural purposes via the Kirindi Oya. The remaining work on the project is being carried out through the Department of Irrigation.