Climate Action 2011-2012

VS Hydro
Special Feature
Climate change and the benefits
of mini-hydro
One of the greatest challenges facing mankind – and all
living creatures – is the threat of adverse patterns of weather
and climate during the next 50 years. Unplanned at that
time, industrialisation and the rapid scramble for natural
resources have left us with little ground cover protected by
the earth’s natural benefits.
Kadawala 1 Project – weir, channel and power house.
Wey Ganga Project – weir and spillway.
Sri Lanka has had the good fortune that this deterioration
happened at a slower pace. Localised solutions are now
addressing the problem effectively.
VS Hydro is lucky that the group’s founder, Premasiri
Sumanasekera, as a meteorologist, set the firm in the direction
of climate action when such thoughts were in their infancy.
Our current operations in the field of renewable energy
are geared within international guidelines and our own
innovative standards, from project conceptualisation to
delivery of the final product.
From 2003, VS Hydro has evolved by promoting the
concept of mini-hydropower projects, a trend which has
resulted in an industry where over 200 MW of capacity is
generated from this source. If this had not been successful,
200 MW of thermal generation would have had to be
implemented over the years, resulting in much pollution
and foreign exchange costs.
This environment-friendly concept has now been taken
by VS Hydro to East Africa as well. VS Hydro has already
designed, built and commissioned an 18 MW small
hydro-power plant in Mpanga, Uganda, and is in the
process of developing other projects in Uganda, Kenya
and Tanzania.
Dick Oya Project – power house.
83 climateactionprogramme.org