TEHRAN (Iran News) –The capacity of hydroelectric power plants in Iran exceeds 13,000 megawatts, the Iranian energy minister said, revealing salient progress in the final stage of construction of a 120-megawatt power plant by the Iranian experts in Sri Lanka.
In a meeting with Sri Lanka’s Minister of Irrigation Chamal Rajapaksa on Sunday, Ali Akbar Mehrabian pointed to the amicable historical relations between the two countries and expressed hope that the power plants being built by expert Iranian engineers in Sri Lanka will be inaugurated in the near future.
Emphasizing the revival and development of economic, political and cultural ties between Tehran and Colombo, Iran’s energy minister further pointed out that the two countries have much potential to strengthen their bilateral ties in all fields.
He termed establishing a joint economic, political and cultural Cooperation commission for realizing the aforementioned objective “effective and constructive”.
Launch of the commission will help boost trade and economic activities between the two countries optimally, Mehrabian emphasized.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he highlighted the capabilities and potentials of Iranian companies in implementing projects in the water and electricity fields.
He also referred to the significance of the multipurpose and giant project of “Uma Oya” being built by expert Iranian manpower in Sri Lanka and added that the progress of this successful project by Iranian engineers is the result of the fruitful experience of cooperation between the two countries.
He added that today over 13,000 megawatts of hydro power plant exists in Iran, adding that with construction of this power plant in Sri Lanka, the capacity for producing 120 megawatts of electricity will be provided which is accompanied with considerable value added.
Then Rajapaska, for his part, expressed creating the ground for broadening cooperation and relation with Iran and said that in Sri Lanka there are three ministries of energy, water and irrigation.
He added that Sri Lanka in the past year due to the post-Covid era had no good condition in the field of fuel and energy but today it is getting better and according, there is hope and expectation that Iran and Sri Lanka in the future would start new projects in the field of energy and drinking water.
Rajapaska then pointed to the considerable rise in price of energy in Sri Lanka, adding that 50% of the required energy of the country is provided through water and some part through renewable energies and the other part through solar and wind energies. He then termed important investment in the infrastructures for construction of renewable energies, adding that Tehran and Colombo can pursue issues for cooperation in this field, reiterating that one-third of Sri Lankan’s lands has capacity for advancing this cooperation and Iranians can invest in this field.
Rajapaska then welcomed implementing joint projects with Iran, adding that he will do his best to broaden ties between the two countries and his country will study the project for water supply tunnel in his country.
