Initial Environmental Examination Project No. 39415 September 2013 SRI: Sustainable Power Sector Support (Additional Subproject: Augmentation of Kiribathkumbura Grid Substation) Prepared by the Ceylon Electricity Board (Environmental Unit) for the Asian Development Bank. Abbreviations ADB - Asian Development Board CEB - Ceylon Electricity Board IEE - Initial Environmental Examination ROW - Right of Way GSS - Grid Substation LV - Low Voltage V - Volt kV - Kilo Volt A - Ampere MVA - Mega Volt-Ampere mm - Milli Meter m - Meter km - Kilo Meter km2 - Square Kilo Meter kg - Kilo gram 0C - Degrees Centigrade This initial environmental examination report is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB’s Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any county program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Kiribathkumbura Grid Substation Augmentation Project 1. Introduction The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is the national utility responsible for the generation and transmission of electrical power in Sri Lanka and a major portion of distribution. The demand for electricity in Sri Lanka is growing at a rate of about 9.8% per annum. The primary transmission and associated grid substation facilities have to be developed and strengthened in order to meet the demand. CEB completed a Master Plan Study for the development of the Transmission system with technical assistance from Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). The development proposals identified by this Master Plan are reviewed continuously during annual transmission planning process to identify the urgent reinforcement requirements of the existing system. Long Term Transmission Development studies are carried out regularly, mainly, based on the latest available National Load Forecast, Long Term Generation Expansion Plan and Medium Voltage Distribution Development Studies. Long Term Transmission Development Studies 2011 - 2020 emphasized the necessity of this project. 1.1. Initial Environmental Examination This IEE report is prepared at the inception of the project preparation for consideration of financing by the Asian Development Bank. To the best possible extent, this report follows the ADBEnvironmental Assesment Guidelines on the preparation of IEEs. This project does not fall within the scope of prescribed projects under National Environment Act of Sri Lanka and therefore not required to obtain an environmental approval from Central Environmental Authority. The main objective of the IEE study is to gather baseline data on existing environment, identify the impacts of physical, biological and socioeconomic environment of the project area that may arise as a result of proposed activities and recommend practical and site specific environmental mitigation and prepare environmental management & monitoring plans for the project. 2. Description of the Project 2.1. Type and Category of Project This subproject consists of augmentation of existing Kiribathkumbura GSs, which would be only carried out within the existing premises belonging to CEB. Therefore according to the Environmental Assessment Guidelines of Asian Development Bank and REA checklist, his project can be classified as follows due to no significant environmental impact associated with the project. Project Type: Electrical Transmission Project Category: B 2.2 Need for the project Kiribathkumbura Grid Substation commissioned in 1986 is one of the oldest Grid Substation in Sri Lankan transmission network and it is the first 33kV GIS substation in Sri Lanka. The grid is feeding second major City, Kandy located in central part of Sri Lanka. The annual load growth in the area feeding through this grid substation is about 6%. The existing grid substation has several problems some are due to aging of the equipment and some are due to exceeding service life of the equipment in the grid substation. Since the only grid substation feeding Kandy, very important place in Sri Lanka is Kiribathkumbura grid substation, the power supply reliability should be maintained at a very high level. However, the existing power supply arrangement could not be disturbed due to lack of alternative feeding arrangement. Thus, it is planned to construct a new grid substation within the premises of existing Kiribathkumbura grid substation. The new grid substation could be installed without any disturbance to existing grid and land is available within the existing grid substation premises. 2.3 Project Location The project site is located at about 10km South West of the Kandy City in Central Part of Sri Lanka. The site could be reached via Colombo – Kandy (A 01) road and the divisional Secretariat is Yatinuwara in Kandy District. The proposed development will be taken place within the CEB owned existing Kiribathkumbura GSS premises. Project site is shown in the topological map (1:50,000) of the area in Fig. 01 and Google satellite image in Fig 2 and Fig. 3. Fig. 1: Geographical Location of Existing KiribathkumburaGSS Fig. 2: Satelite Image of the location taken from Google Map Fig. 3: Detail view of Existing Kiribathkumbura Grid Substation 2.4. Description of the Project Presently Kiribathkumbura Grid Substation is a 3x31.5 MVA grid substation with 3x33 kV distribution feeders. Following modifications have been proposed for the existing GSS. Scope of Augmentation of Kiribathkumbura 132/33 kV grid substation a) Installation of 2 Nos. of 31.5 MVA 132/33kV transformers, b) Construction of 132kV Substation (3x132kV single busbar transformer bays, 4x132kV single busbar transmission line bays, 1x132kV bus section bay, 2x132kV Protection & Control Panels for line bays, 1x132kV Protection & Control Panels for transformer bay) c) Construction of 33kV Gas Insulated Substation (4x33kV Indoor transformer bays, 12x33kV Indoor feeder bays, 2x33kV Indoor capacitor bank bays, 1x33kV Indoor bus section bay & busbar arrangement) d) Installation of OPGW/SCADA system and Substation Automation System e) Replacement of existing 4x5MVAr Capacitor Banks Construction of a new control building 2.5 Estimated cost of the project Total estimated base cost - Foreign cost: LKR810.0 MLKR Local cost: LKR101.2 MLKR Estimated cost including contingency, escalation, and levies: Foreign cost: LKR935.6 MLKR Local cost: LKR152.7 MLKR Levies: LKR37.4 MLKR 3. Description of the Environment 3.1. Physical Recourses 3.1.1. Climate Weather in the project areas is warm and humid for most parts of the year, with minor seasonalvariations. Monsoon rains occur between May and September (South West Monsoon), and moderate rainfall during both inter-monsoon periods resulting in a mean annual precipitation of 1500-2000 mm approximate. The average annual air temperature in the project area is ranged between 250C and 27.50C, while maximum and minimum temperatures 350C and 160C respectively. Air pollution made only due to vehicular transport which is considered very small. The air pollutants in the project area are well within the range of standards. 3.1.2. Topography and Soils The project site is located in the Kandy district. The topography of the area is hilly to undulating,with elevations ranging between 150m to 220m. Red-Yellow podzolic soils with laterite are present. Some paddy fields are also found in the vicinity of the project area. Existing Kiribathkumbura GSS is located in land owned by CEB adjacent to an abandoned paddy field. 3.1.3. Water Resources Water resources around the project area represented by surface water (rivers & streams)and ground water. Mahaweli river, which is the longest river (335 km) in Sri Lanka having catchment area of 10,448 sqkm and carries volume of 6500 MCM per annum. The primary source of water to this area is supplied by Gatambe water intake of National Water Supply & Drainage Board (NWSDB). The project site is about 2km away from Mahaweli river. In addition to piped water supplied by NWSDB, deep wells are being used by some household for drinking water. However, the majority of the population use water supplied by NWSDB. Due to the Mahaweli River flowing across this area, there is no any scarcity of the water in any period of year. 3.1.4. Geology and Seismology Geologically of Kandy district belongs to the Highland complex and this area is consists of mainly Charnokite and Biolite gneiss, with Quartzite layers. 3.2. Ecological Resources Proposed development lies within the WM26 agro ecological region where mixed home gardens, export agricultural crops, tea and paddy cultivations are present. However, due to the semi-urbanization of the area adjacent to Kiribathkumbura GSS, only mixed home gardens and paddy is available within 500m vicinity of the GSS boundary. 3.2.1. Fisheries and Aquatic Biology Although 01 major reservoir (Victoria) and 86 village tank, are located in Kandy district, no inland fishing is carried out within 500 vicinity of the project. Paddy is the main wetland crop available in the vicinity of the project area. Among them some aquatic weeds can be seen and are seasonal with the paddy cycle. According to farmers they are Bajiri, Gojiri, Thunassa, Welpala, Girapala, Kudumeti, Diyaberaliya. Beside water edges, plants called Habarala and Ketala can be seen. As the area becoming heavily urbanized, most of the paddy lands have been abandoned. Other than the freshwater fish species, star tortoise and water monitor are found in wetlands in the area.There are no rare or endangered species among those. 3.2.2 Wildlife, Forests & protected areas Onlyone protected area (forest reserve) and two other forest areas are located in the vicinity of Kiribathkubura area, as shown below. Forest Area Distance to the Project Site from Forest Boundary Udawattakele Forest Reserve More than 6km Mount Pleasant – Hanthana More than 2km Roseneath - Ampitiya More than 6km As shown in the above Table none of these protected areas / forest areas are located within 2km from the project site.