COLOMBO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will complete construction of a 230 GWh hydroelectric power plant by October after delays caused by the COVID-19 lockdown, local media reported here Wednesday.
Minister of Power and Energy Mahinda Amaraweera was quoted in state media as saying that the Uma Oya hydroelectric power plant, which is part of the Iran-funded Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project (UOMDP), will be completed in six months.
Minister Amaraweera said that work on the project had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic as Iranian workers involved in construction had left the country and were unable to return due to a ban on incoming flights imposed by the government.
The Minister added that the power plant would generate 230 GWh after completion and help solve Sri Lanka's energy crisis. The UOMDP is also expected to irrigate over 5000 hectares of land and provide drinking water to areas in the Uva Province.
The UOMDP began construction in 2008 and is estimated to cost 529 million U.S. dollars, 85 percent of which has been financed by a loan from the Export Development Bank of Iran. Enditem
