Abstract
Broadlands Hydropower Project (BHP) with an installed capacity of 35 MW and expected annual energy generation of 137 GWh will harness the last remaining hydropower potential of the Kehelgamu-Maskeli Oya (K-M) Complex located in Kitulgala area. The construction of the main dam of the BHP will directly affect White-Water Rafting (WWR) that takes place along the downstream of the said area. To sustain this sport activity which has become a tourist attraction, and to avoid conflicts that could arise among concerned parties, a certain quantity of water (yet to be decided) has to be released during day time from the main dam which would reduce the amount of annual energy that was originally expected to be generated from BHP. However, the possibility of recovering some of the lost energy by releasing the water through a mini hydroelectric power plant located downstream of Kelani River close to the BHP Main Dam cannot just be ignored. This research study therefore investigated the technical impact of releasing water under different operational policies through the main dam of the Broadlands Power Plant and the possibility of recovering the energy lost using the proposed mini hydroelectric power plant while catering to WWR. Finally, the economic impact of avoiding the cost of dispatching of thermal power plants under different operational scenarios of the composite power system as stated by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is presented.
Highlights
1.1 Laxapana Complex The Laxapana Complex set up under the Kehelgamu–Maskeli Oya Development Project with five power stations operating in cascade, an installed capacity of 355 MW and an annual energy generation of 1563 GWh [5] is shown in Figure 1 in Appendix-A
1.4 Broadlands Mini Hydroelectric Plant The main dam of Broadlands Hydropower Project (BHP) will have a direct impact on White-Water Rafting (WWR) related activities
The strategy adopted for this research study can be stated briefly as follows: 1. Making several visits to the Kehelgamu-Maskeli Oya (K-M) complex and BHP site to identify the principal features of the Project and the conflicts that can arise with regard to WWR
Summary
1.1 Laxapana Complex The Laxapana Complex set up under the Kehelgamu–Maskeli Oya Development Project with five power stations operating in cascade, an installed capacity of 355 MW and an annual energy generation of 1563 GWh [5] is shown in Figure 1 in Appendix-A. Broadlands main dam built across Maskeli-Oya will receive directly the water released from the existing Polpitiya Power Plant (PP). 1.4 Broadlands Mini Hydroelectric Plant The main dam of BHP will have a direct impact on WWR related activities. The possibility of recovering some of the lost energy by releasing this water to a Mini Hydroelectric Plant (MHP) located downstream of Kelani River near the main dam of BHP needs to be explored. 1.5 Aims and Objectives The aims of this research study were to evaluate under various operational policies the energy loss of the BHP as a result of releasing water through the Broadlands MHP to cater to WWR and investigate the economic impact of avoiding the cost of thermal power generation under different operational conditions
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