World Power Plants

Samanala124 MW Hydroelectric

HydroRenewable

Samanala is a 124 MW hydroelectric power plant located in Sri Lanka, operated by the Ceylon Electricity Board. Commissioned in 2010, it utilizes the flow of water to produce electricity, contributing to the country's renewable energy portfolio. It ranks as the 5th largest hydro plant in Sri Lanka. With 124 MW, it represents 8.6% of the country's total hydro capacity of 1,442 MW. Sri Lanka has 21 hydro plants with a combined capacity of 1,442 MW. Compared to the largest hydro plant, Victoria at 210 MW, Samanala is approximately 59% the size. Hydropower is vital to Sri Lanka's energy landscape, supplying a significant share of the country's electricity. The Samanala plant leverages the island's numerous rivers and rainfall patterns to generate energy sustainably. It is located in the Central Province, approximately 100 km east of Colombo.

Capacity
124 MW
Commissioning Year
1999

27 years old

Owner
Ceylon Electricity Board
Location
6.9778°, 80.4567°

Sri Lanka, Asia

Context & rankings
  • 10. largest of 47 plants in Sri Lanka
  • #9,153 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #2,010 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
  • 3.34% of the installed capacity of Sri Lanka
Age & fleet comparison

27 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Ceylon Electricity Board operates 29 plants totalling 3,377 MW

Regional density

27 plants within 100 km, 2,416 MW combined

Nearest plant: New Laxapana (7.9 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 6.977800, 80.456700
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Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Samanala is a hydro power plant producing approximately 434 GWh of clean electricity per year with zero direct CO₂ emissions during operation.

Lifecycle emissions: ~24 g CO₂/kWh (manufacturing, transport, decommissioning)

Technical Details

Primary Fuel Type
Hydro
Energy Source
Renewable
Country
Sri Lanka
Continent
Asia
Data Source
Global Power Plant Database

Sri LankaEnergy Profile

47
Total Plants
3.7 GW
Total Capacity
HydroOilCoalWind
Top Fuels

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