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Cabinet approves signing of two conventions to facilitate nuclear power here

Published

2 years ago

2024/03/23

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the signing of the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage and Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, Saminda Jayasekara, Chairman at the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Council said recently at an event organized by the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka.

The Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) aims at establishing a minimum national compensation amount and at further increasing the amount of compensation through public funds to be made available by the Contracting Parties should the national amount be insufficient to compensate for the damage caused by a nuclear incident.

The Vienna Convention on Civil Liability aims at harmonizing the national law of the Contracting Parties by establishing some minimum standards to provide financial protection against damage resulting from certain peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

However, the Cabinet has not approved the signing of the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy and the Joint Protocol Relating to the Application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention, Jayasekara said.

Jayasekara mentioned that western European countries could only be enticed to build nuclear power plants in Sri Lanka only if Sri Lanka signs Paris Convention.

“If we are not a part of those conventions western European countries won’t come to Sri Lanka,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malinda Ranaweera, scientific officer at the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board said that nuclear energy is becoming popular in Asia. China, Japan, and South Korea are leading the way in Asia, he said. India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan too have nuclear power plants.

“In Asia there is a big nuclear renaissance. China has 59 reactors with several others under construction, South Korea has 28, and Japan has 33. India has 19 reactors and is constructing eight more,” he said.

Sri Lanka is in a decision making phase with the Cabinet recently approving nuclear as an energy option, he said.

SMRs can also be coupled with solar and wind power, he added.

He added that Sri Lanka needs about 400 megawatts of electricity per day when the Colombo Port City Project is complete. The power should be cheap in order to attract foreign investments, Ranaweera said. If the metropolitan light railway system is implemented it will need an additional 200 megawatts, he added.

Ranaweera said another 200 megawatts will be needed if the government converts the conventional train system into an electrified train system.

“All these need cheap power,” he said.

Sri Lanka has been considering nuclear power since 1974, Ranaweera said. In 2010 Cabinet approval was given to conduct a pre-feasibility study to consider a nuclear power programme in the country, he said.

“In February 2024 the Cabinet of Ministers approved “to take the strategic and knowledgeable decision to forward the electricity generation using nuclear power in Sri Lanka as a safe, clean, green, reliable and affordable energy source,” he said.

It takes about 15 years to complete a nuclear power plant project from scratch and Sri Lanka should get to work on it immediately, Dr. Thushara Rathnayake, senior lecturer, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Moratuwa said.

Nuclear is a clean energy source with a high output from a single plant, she said.

“This is a highly safe medium, and it is economical. The generation cost is highly dependent on capital cost (about 60 percent), the fuel cost is about 20 percent from the generation cost. Although the capital cost is high, lifetime cost is low and the introduction of carbon taxes would make nuclear energy more economical.”

Rathnayake said that public acceptance would be one of the largest challenges in establishing a nuclear power plant in Sri Lanka. However, compared to other power sources, nuclear power is safer. The country can also suffer a huge economic loss, if we build a conventional large reactor and the plant is not operated throughout the life cycle.

“If you look at the capital cost of nuclear power, generated for a conventional large reactor, it’s about 7,000 US dollars per kilowatt hour. Cost of coal is about 4,000 dollars. But if you consider the health, social and environmental costs, the capital cost is almost equal to nuclear energy. However, nuclear power has a capacity factor of about 94 percent. Other intermittent sources like wind and solar have a low-capacity factor. So, if we calculate the levelized cost of energy, nuclear is very much cost competitive to other power sources,” she said.

Rathnayake added that if the government decides to go for a large nuclear reactor, it will have to incur a large capital investment. So Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), i.e., less than 300 MWs, should interest Sri Lanka more.

“Currently four SMRs, in advanced stages of construction, are being built in Argentina, China and Russia. The capital costs are also low. I said the capital cost of nuclear power is about 7,000 US dollars per kilowatt hour, but for an SMR the cost is about 2,900 dollars. It also only takes 1.5 years to construct, compared to five years taken to build a conventional large reactor,” she said.

Nuclear power also uses the least amount of land to generate a megawatt hour of electricity, she said. This is about 1.3 square metres per megawatt hour.

“SMRs suit smaller grids like ours. We can also think about offshore in-built SMRs, which are cheaper, less risky and we won’t have to worry about handling Spent Nuclear Fuel,” she said.

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Elders’ home devastated by fire was a ‘house of horror’: Witnesses

Published

1 hour ago

2026/06/5

Thilina Walpola

Death toll rises to 12: Director remanded

Some residents were allegedly chained

Police have come under public pressure to investigate allegations of inhumane treatmenf the residents at an elders’ home in Batagoda, which was also reportedly used as a care centre for persons with special needs, following a devastating fire that has so far claimed 12 lives.

Eyewitnesses who were among the first responders told the media that several residents had been chained inside rooms at the Senehase Kedella Elders’ Home when the fire broke out on Wednesday. They claimed that rescue efforts were hindered as iron chains could not be removed, and that some residents died while being restrained.

Authorities have not yet verified these claims, and Police said investigations are continuing.

Police spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler, contacted for comment, said there were rumours to that effect, but the Police were not in a position to verify the claims until a report from the Government Analyst was received. He said eight survivors with burn injuries were being treated in hospital.

Meanwhile, the Director of the facility had been arrested and was due to be produced before the Horana Magistrate’s Court, Police said adding that he was remanded till June 11.

The death toll from the fire has risen to 12 as of Thursday morning following the recovery of additional charred remains during ongoing forensic examinations at the site. Six others sustained serious injuries and are being treated at the Horana Base Hospital.

Police said 72 residents were inside the facility at the time of the blaze. Of them, 10 died inside the building, seven were injured and hospitalised, while 51 were rescued and relocated.

Survivors were initially housed at Batagoda Junior School before being transferred with Army assistance to another branch of the same care network in Galpatha.

A magisterial inquiry was conducted on Thursday morning. Horana Magistrate Lakmini Vidanagamage visited the scene. The burnt remains were examined and removed under judicial supervision.

Separately, allegations have emerged that residents were required to pay an admission fee of Rs. 75,000, along with a monthly charge of Rs. 35,000 to the centre. Police have not commented on these claims.

The director was taken to the scene as part of ongoing investigations, while forensic experts continue examinations to determine the cause of the fire, which remains undetermined.Anguruwatota Police are conducting investigations.

By Norman Palihawadane and Nishan S Priyantha

News

CERT : AI-generated videos depicting Prez, PM lure public into financial scams

Published

1 hour ago

2026/06/5

Thilina Walpola

Sri Lanka CERT has issued a public warning over the circulation of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated videos falsely depicting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and several other prominent personalities to promote fraudulent investment schemes online.

According to complaints received by the national cyber security agency, the videos have been created using deepfake technology and are being used as part of attempts to defraud members of the public through financial scams.

The images of famous sports personalities and other public figures have also been misused in the deceptive content.

The agency has warned that similar AI-generated material has been used to spread false information relating to investment opportunities, employment offers, as well as matters concerning the country’s economy and tax policies.

According to Sri Lanka CERT, the videos are being widely shared across online platforms and frequently contain links urging viewers to make investments in return for purported profits.The agency has cautioned that these links may redirect users to fraudulent websites designed to steal personal information, financial data and money from unsuspecting victims.

Sri Lanka CERT has urged the public to exercise extreme caution when encountering such content online and advised against clicking on suspicious links or sharing personal information through unverified websites.

“The public should remain vigilant and avoid becoming victims of false information and online fraud schemes,” the agency said.

Sri Lanka CERT has also encouraged internet users to verify information through official sources before acting on any investment, employment or financial offers circulated via social media or other online platforms.

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New tax law comes into force

Published

1 hour ago

2026/06/5

Thilina Walpola

Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne endorsing the certificate on a Bill (File)

Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne on Wednesday endorsed the certificate on the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill, bringing the legislation into force as the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2026, Parliament sources said.

The Bill, which amends the Inland Revenue Act, No. 24 of 2017, was passed by Parliament on May 19.

The new law introduces a series of reforms aimed at modernising tax administration procedures, improving compliance and enforcement mechanisms, enhancing the accuracy of tax calculations and deductions, and strengthening transparency within the tax system.

The amendments also support broader economic policy objectives and include measures designed to reinforce anti-money laundering safeguards.Among the key provisions of the Act is the mandatory use of Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) certificates for specified high-value financial transactions.

The legislation also introduces revisions to the calculation of taxable income, clarifies tax exemptions applicable to certain projects and business entities, and expands the scope for information disclosure to relevant authorities.

The amendments are expected to improve the efficiency of tax administration while facilitating greater accountability and regulatory oversight.With the Speaker’s endorsement of the certificate, the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill has now become law as the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2026.