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Six countries offer to build nuclear power plants here
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Sri Lanka had received six proposals for the construction of nuclear plants here. 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.
Russia’s Rosatom, China’s China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), France’s Électricité de France (EDF), and Denmark’s Seaborg have submitted proposals.
Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation of the US (USNC) and Canada’s Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) have expressed willingness, he said.
“The proposal from Russia is very comprehensive. Russia is building two nuclear power plants in Bangladesh and one in Kudankulam, India, which is only about 207 kilometres from Kalpitiya. I think Russians also want us to join their regional efforts. We had many discussions with Rosatom officials, including many Zoom sessions, and finalised the proposals. To finalise this, we need to sign intergovernmental agreements (IGAs). We sent the proposal to the Foreign Ministry six or seven months ago, but we still have not received an answer. It’s probably because of the Russia-Ukraine war and IMF, etc.,” he said.
Sri Lanka had also received a complete proposal from China and representatives from CNNC visited Sri Lanka about two months ago. The CNNC officials had met SLAEB and even brought a prototype, Prof. 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,” Prof. Rosa said, adding that USNC and AECL had sent proposals of willingness, but they were not complete or comprehensive proposals. Sri Lanka now had received six proposals, he said. Seaborg had offered a power barge, Russia has offered Sri Lanka both onshore and offshore power plants, and the others had proposed conventional nuclear power plants, he said.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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