INSEE Cement, a major cement supplier to the Uma Oya project

INSEE Cement is Sri Lanka’s leading manufacturer of cement and is the company behind renowned cement brands such as Sanstha and Mahaweli cement. Presently, INSEE Cement is the suppliers of cement to the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project in the Uva Province. The project includes the commissioning of a new hydropower station and irrigation infrastructure for thousands of acres of farmland in the Hambantota and Monaragala Districts. The Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project is an initiative by the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Management in coordination with the Ministry of Power and Energy, and the Ceylon Electricity Board. The projected has been contracted to FARAB Company, an Iranian contractor, and INSEE cement has already supplied the project with over 85,000 metric tons of its proprietary Rapid Flow and Sanstha (RCW) Cements.

Emphasizing the strategic importance of the project, Gustavo Navarro, Chief Executive Officer at INSEE Cement said, “The Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project is an important project that will have positive nation-wide implications. It will create a renewable source of electricity, while also providing much needed irrigation to vast tracts of agricultural land. Together, this will help to further strengthen Sri Lanka’s food and energy security, which is particularly important in the post-pandemic environment. At INSEE, we believe in building for life. Thus, being the largest suppliers of cement to this project is a deep source of pride for us, and allows us to deploy our resources to support the development of our nation. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the project, until its completion, and take this opportunity to commend the government on its foresight with regard to this strategic national development initiative.”

The Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project (UOMDP), also known as the Uma Oya Hydropower Complex, includes the construction of two dams across the Uma Oya and a tributary at Welimada, along with a trans-basin diversion tunnel and an underground hydro power plant with a 120MW capacity. Once completed, the project is expected to divert 145MCM of water to irrigate approximately 5000 hectares of land in the Hambantota and Monaragala Districts and to meet other downstream requirements. The expected annual energy production is 290 GWh and the power plant will be connected, via a 22.7km, 132kV transmission line, to the Badulla Grid Substation. The estimated cost of the project is 529 million USD and 85% of the total project cost is provided by the Government of Iran through the Export and Development Bank as a loan.