Colombo, May 19, 2023 – The Minister of Power and Energy, Kanchana Wijesekera, has announced that two units of the Uma Oya Hydro Power Plant will be operationalized for power generation this year. The availability of Unit 01 is scheduled for August, followed by Unit 02 in September. Minister Wijesekera highlighted that once completed, these units will contribute a significant 120 Megawatts (MW) of hydropower to the national grid. This disclosure was made during a meeting at the Ministry’s premises yesterday afternoon (May 18), where the Minister engaged with representatives from Farab, the construction company responsible for the Uma Oya Multipurpose Irrigation Facility. In discussions held with Dr. Ali Vakili, the Managing Director of Farab, and the Project Manager of Uma Oya, the company confirmed the timeline for the availability of the power plant units. The completion and integration of these units will play a vital role in enhancing the country’s power generation capacity. The Uma Oya Multipurpose Irrigation Facility, which includes the hydro power plant, aims to harness the water resources of the Uma Oya River to meet the country’s growing energy needs. The project’s development has been closely monitored to ensure environmental sustainability and minimize potential adverse impacts. The introduction of the Uma Oya Hydro Power Plant units to the national grid represents a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts to diversify its energy sources and reduce dependency on non-renewable energy options. This move aligns with the government’s commitment to increase the share of renewable energy in the country’s power generation mix.