Samanalawewa
| Samanala Dam සමනලවැව වේල්ල |
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Upstream view of the dam.
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 Location of Samanala Dam
සමනලවැව වේල්ල in Sri Lanka |
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| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Location | Balangoda |
| Coordinates | 06°40′48″N 80°47′54″E / 6.68000°N 80.79833°E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1986 |
| Opening date | 1992 |
| Construction cost | ¥74,313 million |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Walawe River |
| Height (foundation) | 110 m (361 ft) |
| Length | 530 m (1,739 ft) |
| Spillway capacity | 3,600 m3/s (130,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Samanala Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 218,000,000 m3 (7.7×109 cu ft) |
| Catchment area | 372 km2 (144 sq mi) |
| Coordinates | 06°35′03″N 80°48′29″E / 6.58417°N 80.80806°E |
| Operator(s) | Ceylon Electricity Board |
| Turbines | 2 × 62 MW |
| Installed capacity | 124 MW |
| Annual generation | 405 GWh |
The Samanala Dam (Sinhala: සමනලවැව වේල්ල) is a dam primarily used for hydroelectric power generation in Sri Lanka. Commissioned in 1992, the Samanalawewa Project (Samanala Reservoir Project) is the second-largest hydroelectric scheme in the country, producing 405 GWh of energy annually. It was built with financial support from Japan and the United Kingdom. It is notable for a large leak on its right bank. Power production continues as planned despite the leakage, and the water from the leak now provides two thirds of the water issued by the reservoir for agriculture in downstream areas.
The Samanala Dam is located in the Uda Walawe basin. It was built at the confluence of the Walawe river and the Belihul Oya, a location 400 metres (1,300 ft) above mean sea level. It is near the town of Balangoda and 160 kilometres (99 mi) southeast of Colombo, the capital. The ground of the project area is karstic.
With the Mahaweli and Laxapana hydroelectric power projects implemented, the demand for electricity in Sri Lanka rapidly increased. When it became clear that it would not be possible to meet the demand with coal-fired power plants, the government of Sri Lanka decided to initiate another hydroelectric power project. A reservoir type hydroelectric power plant was planned to be constructed across the Walawe river, which would address the shortage of electricity in the country. Detailed investigations for a hydroelectric power plant in this area have been carried out since 1958, but the scheme was initiated only in 1986. The financing for the project was given by the governments of Japan and the United Kingdom.
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Wikipedia