15 June 2024 12:00 am Views - 272
The world’s resources of petroleum and natural gas are running out. On the other hand, the world’s population is growing. The global human population reached 8.0 billion in mid-November 2022 from an estimated 2.5 billion people in 1950, adding 1 billion people since 2010 and 2 billion since 1998.
It has been estimated that known oil deposits will run out by 2052. While, there may be new wells discovered in the future, what is certain is that the resources of the earth are limited. Therefore newer sources of energy are needed to meet the needs of a growing population and industrial needs.
For one reason or the other, our leaders have been procrastinating over taking positive decisions that can provide our people with a cheaper and continuously reliable source of energy for personal as well as for industrial needs.
Fortunately, our country is now taking its first shaky steps to set up nuclear power plants. The government has called for expressions of interest from prospective investors. In January 2023 Tass Russian News Agency quoted Russian Ambassador Levan Dzhagaryan, as saying Russia was discussing the construction of two small power plants which would be followed up by six more power plants.
The ‘Daily Mirror’ in its lead story of June 10 spoke of a delegation from China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) arriving in the country to explore possibilities of nuclear investment in the country.
Besides the Russian and Chinese expressions of interest, France and Denmark too have submitted proposals for this purpose. An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEG) team of experts has concluded its seven-day safety review of Lanka’s selection process to identify potential sites for its first nuclear power plant.
Though somewhat novel to our country, nuclear power generation in the South Asian region is not new. India and Pakistan have been using nuclear power to generate electricity.
As far back as in March 1946, the Board of Scientific and Industrial Research (BSIR), under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), set up an Atomic Research Committee to explore India’s atomic energy resources and to suggest ways to develop and harness them.
Today nuclear power is the fifth-largest source of electricity after coal, gas, hydroelectricity and wind power. As of November 2020, India has 23 nuclear reactors in operation in 8 nuclear power plants, with a total installed capacity of 7,380 MW.
In Pakistan, nuclear power is provided by six commercial nuclear power plants with a net capacity of 3,262 megawatts (3.262 GW) from pressurised water reactors. In 2020, Pakistan’s nuclear power plants produced roughly 10% of the nation’s electricity energy generation.
Bangladesh which gained independence long after we did, has harnessed nuclear energy to enhance its power needs. Bangladesh started construction of its first nuclear power reactor -Rooppur 1- in November 2017. The unit is scheduled to be commissioned this year. Construction of the second unit at Rooppur commenced in July 2018.
Harnessing nuclear energy in Lanka has faced many detractors. Questions have been raised as to whether we have the required infrastructure and human capacity to build and run nuclear plants.
Prof. S.R.D. Rosa, Chairman, Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board (SLAEB) emphasises many erroneously believe Sri Lanka does not have the human resources to operate and maintain a nuclear power plant.
Rosa added when SLAEB looked at the nuclear power plants Russians have built in Bangladesh, “...the unit price for power generation amounted to between 27 to 30 Sri Lankan rupees” -a cheaper option.
However, our problem of a shortage of finances is a reality. Building an average nuclear power plant takes about 5-8 years and costs 2-5 billion US dollars. The government’s search for investors to set up the project avoids getting the country further into debt.
The good news is power will be less costly. What we need to pay attention to, are the terms of the agreement.
Environmentally, nuclear energy is a carbon-free source. Detractors however, claim uranium is technically non-renewable. The Russian proposal covers this aspect, as it does the disposal of nuclear waste.
Time is running out and we need to make the best of the proposals before us.