Our next destination on the unique journey of finding renewable energy sources in the island is the source of life, water. Due to the climatic conditions prevailing in the country, Sri Lanka is a rich country endowed with a variety of renewable energy sources. Rainfall is the main source of water for our country. Being an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, it receives rainfall from two monsoon wind systems, the southwest monsoon and the northeast monsoon. The central highlands, lowland mountains, plains and plateaus contribute to the formation of clouds. Since the annual rainfall is around 750-6000mm, a large amount of water accumulates in rivers, streams, tanks etc.
The energy of water is the energy generated by the moving water. It depends on the height of the water level and the speed of the flow. The benefits of using this energy in the form of renewable energy in a very sophisticated and well-planned manner are limitless.
In the late 19th century in Sri Lanka, the energy contained in water became a source of electricity. It is currently the main source of energy used to generate electricity in Sri Lanka and hydropower is a type of energy based on the natural hydrocycle.
D.J. Wimalasurendra is undoubtedly recognized as the father of hydropower generation in Sri Lanka. He is one of the foremost engineers in the country who pioneered the development of hydroelectricity, a renewable energy source, using our own water resources instead of imported energy fuels. According to his concept, the first small scale hydro power plant was built at Blackpool between Nanu Oya and Nuwara Eliya. Later, this became a model for large-scale hydropower projects.
According to the generation capacity, hydro power plants are mainly divided into two types as large scale hydro power plants and small scale hydro power plants. The potential energy of water flowing from the upper ground level to the lower ground level is converted into kinetic energy by a turbine and then converted into electrical energy by the generator. That energy is called hydropower. It is used as a channel of storing water energy by building a reservoir at a higher level before the water comes down from a higher level. Then we can generate electricity as we need it for the time being. Furthermore, the power can be connected to a central power transmission network and used even to an independent power transmission network outside the central network.
Hydroelectricity can also be considered as a very easily controlled electrical energy source. This is because the amount of electrical energy produced can be changed in a matter of minutes. This makes the contribution of hydropower to control the supply and demand of the power system in Sri Lanka. It also controls the frequency, especially when demand is slightly rising and falling slightly. It is noteworthy that the controllers of the power grid have been given the freedom to use hydropower as a source of maximum power demand if required. Energy specialists have generally identified three basic models of hydropower plants.
1. IMPOUNDMENT - (Dammed -Storage or Reservoir) with a reservoir to store and control energy.
2. DIVERSION - (Run-off river) power plants that can control the flow of water without storing it in a reservoir. There is a dam and the water collected daily is diverted to the power plant.
3. PUMPED STORAGE - Power plants with reservoirs (storage). The plant will have upper and lower reservoirs. When the demand of the system decreases, water is pumped from the bottom to the top and when the demand increases, the same water is pumped water from the top to the bottom. It should be noted that water is pumped from the bottom to the top by electrical energy generated by using another energy sources when the system demand is low.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Sri Lanka was established in 2007 and to date has installed over 210 small hydro power plants within the country, adding a large amount of electricity (approximately 422 MW) to the national hydro power grid. At present there are many other hydro power plants operating in Sri Lanka including Victoria, Kotmale, Randenigala, Laxapana, Rantambe, Polpitiya etc. At present hydropower is being used on a large scale for human basic as well as high needs.
The only limiting factor here is the generation of electricity during climate change, which is a limitation of the natural water cycle. Its main advantages are that it reduces environmental pollution compared to other fossil fuels and is primarily a renewable energy source. It is our responsibility to replace non-renewable energy sources such as coal and petroleum with renewable energy and to move towards a better future by using water resources as a sustainable renewable energy for the economic growth and development of the country without adding enough carbon to the atmosphere.
Thank you for waiting until the end of the article to inform you about the contribution of water resource to the National hydropower grid.
The Sun, the closest star to the Earth, provides the heat and light needed to survive on Earth. Similarly solar radiation, which is fundamental to wind generation explains that there is a very close relationship between the sun and the wind. How close is the wind to the Sri Lankan energy supply? We look forward to informing you about this in the next article in our series. Are you ready for that? Then stay with the Green Pulse society.
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