Energy in Sri Lanka - Power Generation

Power Generation

Electricity in Sri Lanka is currently being generated using three primary sources; thermal power (which includes energy from biomass, coal, and all other fuel-oil sources), hydro power (including small hydro), and other non-conventional renewable energy sources (solar power and wind power):

Charts the available grid capacity by source (left), and the annual generation by source (right).

Hydro power sources consists of both larger government-owned projects, as well as private small-hydro facilities.

Thermal sources consists of diesel and all other fuel oil sources. 300MW of coal-power was added to the grid from the Norocholai Coal Power Station, the only coal power station in the country, in late-2011.

Other renewable power sources consists of wind power, solar power, and biofuels such as biomass.

	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Available grid capacity by source (in megawatts)
Hydro power	1,150	1,161	1,171	1,247	1,281	1,293	1,316	1,326	1,357	1,379	1,382	1,401
Thermal	685	835	1,056	1,233	1,215	1,155	1,155	1,155	1,285	1,290	1,390	1,690
Other renewables	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	15	45	50
Total availability	1,838	1,999	2,230	2,483	2,499	2,411	2,434	2,444	2,645	2,684	2,818	3,141
Annual generation by source (in gigawatt-hours)
Hydro power	3,197	3,110	2,962	3,310	2,960	3,451	4,634	3,947	4,130	3,881	5,634	4,622
Thermal	3,485	3,407	3,201	4,298	5,080	5,314	4,751	5,864	5,763	5,975	4,995	6,785
Other renewables	3	3	4	3	3	5	4	4	8	27	86	121
Total production	6,685	6,520	6,167	7,611	8,043	8,770	9,389	9,815	9,901	9,883	10,715	11,528