Sri Lanka is now turning to nuclear power as a firm energy resource to stabilise the national grid, with new additions of more Renewable Energy (RE) sources to meet the RE target by 2030.
As learnt by The Sunday Morning, with the minimising of coal and other fossil fuel-fired electricity generation, the national grid must be supplied with firm electricity to prevent grid vulnerabilities.
Therefore, Sri Lanka is exploring the possibility of integrating nuclear power, with the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board (SLAEB) commencing calls for Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from parties willing to invest in establishing a nuclear power plant in Sri Lanka. The EOI papers were sent to the Power and Energy Ministry last week.
Russian proposal
According to SLAEB Chairman Prof. S.R.D. Rosa, Sri Lanka is looking at a nuclear power plant with a capacity ranging from 400 MW to 600 MW, which can be built on land or as a barge-mounted power plant.
“We have received a proposal from a Russian company, but the ministry instructed us to call for EOIs. We have submitted papers to the ministry, which has to go through them and publish them on an international website. Any country willing to invest in Sri Lanka’s nuclear energy can submit their proposals once the EOIs are published by the ministry,” Prof. Rosa told The Sunday Morning.
When asked about the Russian proposal, he noted that Sri Lanka should sign an international trade agreement with Russia for nuclear investments. “We have sent a request to the Foreign Ministry, but we haven’t received any response as yet,” he stressed.
In the meantime, a high-level Russian delegation had recently visited Sri Lanka. During the visit, the SLAEB had also held discussions with the delegation. Officials from Rosatom, a Russian State corporation headquartered in Moscow that specialises in nuclear energy, had also participated in the discussions.
According to the SLAEB Chairman, the delegation had been informed about the receipt of a proposal from Russia and had also been informed of the status of the proposal, including the approvals sought from the Foreign Ministry to finalise the international trade agreement.
“The ministry specifically instructed us to call for EOIs before proceeding with the Russian proposal,” he explained, adding that otherwise there may be questions on why they were moving forward only with Russia.
“We submitted EOIs to the Power and Energy Ministry last week. The Ministry has to go through them and then publish the EOIs. Then, we have to set our guidelines and other countries can submit their proposals,” he added.
A viable option?
When asked whether nuclear power was viable in Sri Lanka, Prof. Rosa explained: “Due to the net carbon-zero problem and as the whole world is moving away from coal and fossil fuel, the only viable options are nuclear and renewables. Renewable energy has to be developed and there is no question about it, but we need steady power. Solar and wind are intermittent, with significant fluctuations, and you can’t integrate solar and wind into the grid without making it unstable. In that context, even at a recent international summit, 22 countries signed an agreement to produce electricity using nuclear power.”
Prof. Rosa noted that Sri Lanka was also looking forward to it, but a firm decision had not been made yet.
Nuclear technology, utilising the energy released by splitting atoms, originated in the 1940s, initially focused on wartime applications, including bomb production. Shifting to peaceful use in the 1950s, nuclear fission became a source for power generation. With over 20,000 reactor years of experience, nuclear power plants operate in 31 countries worldwide, contributing significantly to global electricity production.
In 2022, 13 countries produced at least one-quarter of their electricity from nuclear sources.
Notably, France relies on nuclear energy for up to around 70% of its electricity, while Ukraine, Slovakia, Belgium, and Hungary generate about half of their electricity from nuclear power. Japan, historically dependent on nuclear power, is anticipated to return to a similar level of reliance in the near future.
While these plants are designed with extensive safety measures and containment structures, accidents can pose severe threats to both human safety and the environment.
Notable accidents include the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, where a reactor meltdown led to the release of radioactive materials, and the Fukushima Daiichi incident in 2011, triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami.
These events raised global concerns about the potential catastrophic consequences of nuclear accidents, emphasising the need for stringent safety protocols, regular inspections, and international cooperation to prevent and mitigate the impact of such incidents.
Insufficient studies
In such a backdrop, independent energy expert Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya told The Sunday Morning that there had been no adequate studies from the planning perspective and on the feasibility of a project from a price-specific point of view.
“To provide electricity at the lowest possible cost and thereby at the lowest possible price, considering that Sri Lanka’s average electricity cost is equivalent to 15 US cents, which is the highest price in the region, I would consider the least cost as the priority for anything that we do,” he said.
Commenting on the impact in terms of reliability of electricity supply, Dr. Siyambalapitiya said: “I have absolutely no doubt that a nuclear power plant will improve the reliability of electricity supply, including the technically supportive variable renewable energy. A nuclear power plant is a solid power plant that will produce electricity 24 hours a day. It will help the grid which is now vulnerable to fluctuations due to renewable energy.
“The Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) ability to generate more firm power is diminishing as the Government has said no to coal power. Coal is available at around Rs. 22 and we are producing solar at over Rs. 37, saying we are alright. But we are not technically and financially alright because electricity at Rs. 37 is more than the average cost now. What we are going to do is increasingly raise the electricity cost.”
He also stressed that the economically-justifiable indicative cost of electricity per unit was equivalent to 15 US cents per kilowatt-hour. “I don’t want such expensive electricity in Sri Lanka. The current cost is equivalent to 15 US cents and if we produce nuclear at 15 US cents and include other costs, it will be higher than the higher prices we are experiencing now. Nuclear power will come to our meters at around 18 US cents,” he stressed.
Government policy
In September 2021, the Government introduced a new policy for the electricity sector, emphasising on the development of indigenous resources to their fullest potential. This policy, outlined in the ‘General Policy Guidelines in Respect of the Electricity Industry,’ was approved by the Cabinet in November 2021 and issued by the Ministry of Power in January 2022. The main objective is to achieve 70% of electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2030.
The Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP) aligns with this policy, focusing on integrating a significant percentage of renewable energy into the system, especially from Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) sources like solar PV and wind, during the period from 2023 to 2030.
As highlighted in the LTGEP (2023-2042), the Government received Cabinet approval in September 2010 to consider nuclear power for meeting future energy demands, leading to the initiation of a pre-feasibility study on the nuclear option.
Assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was sought and received through technical cooperation programmes, including projects supporting energy planning, pre-feasibility studies, and human resources development in nuclear power engineering.
When contacted, CEB Chairman Nalinda Ilangakoon said the board had not been informed of any new updates on nuclear energy yet.