It is reported that the preliminary feasibility study for the ‘Canal-Top Solar’ project along the Vienna Canal in Mahiyangana has been completed. This is the first solar energy project in Sri Lanka to be built on a canal and it is said that it will provide an opportunity to minimize water evaporation and maintain the temperature of the water at an optimal level.
Under this project, an electric fence is to be constructed on both sides of the irrigation canal, which will also provide a solution to the problem of elephants falling into the irrigation canal.
The Vienna Canal in Mahiyangana is a wide canal with a length of over 20 kilometers. Therefore, the Vienna Canal has been selected for this project considering the potential of adding a large renewable energy capacity to the national electricity grid by supporting the canal with solar panels and the optimal sunlight available for most of the year.
This information was reported during a progress review meeting held following a field inspection visit related to this project. The meeting held at Mahiyangana on the 20th was attended by MP Ravindra Bandara, Badulla District MP Sudath Balagalla, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority Chairman Professor Wijendra Bandara and a group of others.