Foreign Ministry mum on Russian proposal to build cost effective advance nuclear reactor

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Sri Lanka has capable engineers to operate a nuclear power plant and these power plants are very safe, Prof. S.R.D. Rosa, Chairman, Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board (SLAEB), said during a recent seminar organised by the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) on ‘Potential of nuclear energy and its challenges in Sri Lanka.’

Prof. Rosa said that many erroneously believed that Sri Lanka did not have the human resources to operate and maintain a nuclear power plant.

“Of course, if we start a nuclear power plant we will have to get help from others initially. We need to work on public perception because many people assume nuclear power plants explode all the time. Nothing can be further from the truth.”

Rosa said nuclear power plants were regulated strictly. The SLAEB had started to amend the Lanka Atomic Energy Act as the current Act does not permit nuclear power plants in the country, he said.

“If we are going for nuclear power the Act has to change and the government has started the amendment process. This is chaired by Justice Sobitha Rajakaruna and I am also a member. We hope to finish the amendments by July,” he said.

Rosa added they have received a number of proposals to construct nuclear plants in Sri Lanka. Russia’s Rosatom, China’s China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), France’s Électricité de France (EDF), and Denmark’s Seaborg have submitted proposals. USA’s Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) and Canada’s Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) have expressed willingness.

“The proposal from Russia is a very comprehensive and a complete proposal. Russia is building two nuclear power plants in Bangladesh and one in Kudankulam, India, which is only about 207 kilometres from Kalpitiya. I think the Russians also want us to join their regional efforts. We had many discussions with Rosatom officials, including many Zoom sessions, and finalized the proposals. To finalize this, we need to sign intergovernmental agreements (IGA). We sent the proposal to the Foreign Ministry six or seven months back, but we still have not got an answer. It’s probably because of the Russia-Ukraine war and IMF, etc.”

Sri Lanka has also received a complete proposal from China and representatives from CNNC visited Sri Lanka about two months ago. The CNNC officials met SLAEB and even brought a prototype, Rosa said.

“EDF, too, has sent a proposal. We then have a unique proposal from Denmark. Seaborg Technologies is a private Danish startup. They are building barges or floating nuclear power plants.  Seaborg Technologies is working on building power plants in Vietnam, and Indonesia and wants to build a third one for Sri Lanka.”

Rosa said USNC and AECL have sent proposals of willingness, but they are not complete or comprehensive proposals. Sri Lanka now has received six proposals. Seaborg has offered a power barge, Russia has offered Sri Lanka both onshore and offshore power plants, while the others have proposed conventional nuclear power plants, he mentioned.

“We have to also think about the prices. There is no point in building a nuclear power plant if the unit cost is about 60 rupees. The problem is that no one gives the exact price unless you sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) or a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Russians have offered us several options, depending on our requirements. If we go with the offshore plant, Russians will build and bring if here and we will have to sign a 10- or 20-year MoU. We have asked the price but they have not given us an exact price. However, we looked at the nuclear power plants Russians have built in Bangladesh, the unit price is between 27 to 30 Sri Lankan rupees.”

He added that China and Russia are the only countries that have successfully built operational Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity up to 300 MWs per unit.

Rosa said that they have prepared a Cabinet paper and that they have asked the government to take a “strategic and visionary” decision on generating electricity from nuclear power as a policy. They have also asked the government to invite expressions of interest from government institutions of suitable countries producing nuclear power plants compatible with the technical, economic, social, environmental and legal conditions of Sri Lanka and that can provide an integrated solution, including fuel cycle options and radioactive waste management options.

“We want a clear-cut policy approval from the government. We asked the government and they have approved. Since we have so many proposals, what the government said was to ask for Expressions of Interests (EOIs). Because if we only go with Russians there would be complications. Some may not like it. The Cabinet has also approved the decision to call EoIs. We had already prepared the EoI and since we have got the Cabinet approval, we can go for it.”

Rosa added Sri Lanka needs nuclear power to have a stable source of energy and that nuclear power plants would complement renewable energy.

“My personal opinion is that we should go for an offshore nuclear power plant first and then move to an onshore power plant. This is not the stance of the SLAEB. This is because selecting a land may be an issue because of public perceptions. Another thing to consider is that Thorium-based nuclear power plants are becoming very popular. India has a lot of thorium. Even Sri Lanka has a lot of thorium,” he said.