Govt. seeks investors for nuclear power plants
Sri Lanka is moving forward by introducing nuclear power into its energy mix in order to meet the growing electricity demand, combat climate change, and to secure energy supplies.
Preparatory work for the country’s first nuclear power plant has already begun. The government is working on legislation governing the generation of nuclear power and shortly will start inviting expressions of interest from potential investors.
Prof. S. R. D. Rosa, Chairman, Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board (SLAEB) said that a Cabinet Paper has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department review for building three nuclear plants of 900 megawatts.
The Cabinet memorandum to be tabled shortly would outline the urgent country’s need to meet the country’s growing demand for electricity.
It is to be executed by a company accepting the government’s terms at the company’s entire cost of construction. The Sri Lankan government is to purchase the generated electricity at an agreed price.
A number of probable locations have been identified off the coasts of Mannar and Pulmoddai, both thinly populated areas.
The sites will be studied in detail before the best one is chosen. The plants are expected to come online after 2035. The IAEA has endorsed Sri Lanka’s plans for nuclear, noting that the country is “focused on increasing low-carbon electricity production to support climate change mitigation efforts”.
A team from the IAEA visited Sri Lanka in May-June 2024 to review the safety standards of the sites for nuclear plants. Accordingly, six sites were pre-selected and Pulmoddai was one of the most prominent sites with mineral sands.
IAEA will further study these sites in the second phase and is expected to submit its final report within three months. Russia, the US, Denmark, China, and India have expressed interest in helping Sri Lanka with Small Modular Reactors. These reactors, of about 100 MW, are “inherently safe” with very little risk, says Prof. Rosa.
It was also agreed that Russia would handle the nuclear waste, and hence Russia’s support is considered for these reasons.
Prof. Rosa further substantiated the move to nuclear power, stating that solar and wind energies are intermittent and, therefore, nuclear energy, being more stable, especially if Sri Lanka is to halt coal in 2030, is better.
If all goes right, Sri Lanka might see the first nuclear power plant in the year 2032, with the technological assistance of Russia. To get a skilled workforce for the future energy sector, SLAEB, on its part, is into training professionals in the concerned field.
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