Clean hydroelectric power for Sri LankaSince September 2009, the small hydroelectric power plant in southern Sri Lanka has been supplying clean electricity to the island. With a capacity of 6.5 megawatts, it uses the water of the Kuru Ganga river near Kuruwita in the Ratnapura district to generate emission-free energy. The project counts as a run-of-river power plant, which means that the water only has to be dammed during dry periods and by a small weir. Thus the environmental influences remain almost neutral, fish stocks and the entire ecosystem are not endangered. The power plant generates around 19 gigawatt hours per year for Sri Lanka's power grid. These replace electricity from thermal power plants that were previously used to generate electricity in Sri Lanka. The financing from the climate protection project allowed the construction and operation of the new power plant - and at the same time some improvements for the people lliving in the project area.
How hydropower contributes to climate actionHydropower plants use the energy of water to generate electricity. The energy is harnessed by passing water through a turbine. Under the pressure of the water, the turbine turns and transfers this energy to a generator, which converts kinetic energy into electricity. This principle applies to all types of hydroelectric power plants: from small run-of-river power plants to pumped-storage power plants on bodies of water like lakes. In many parts of the world, electricity is still primarily generated from fossil fuels. Clean hydropower can replace some of this emission-intensive energy and thus verifiably save carbon emissions. In most hydropower projects, the electricity is fed into a regional power grid, diversifying the energy supply and improving energy security in areas affected by power shortages and blackouts. Often, these projects also create jobs for the local population. Hydropower projects thus make an important contribution to clean energy supply as well as contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Hydopower projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
