Sri Lanka yet to take final decision

17 June 2023 06:36 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 23 Bookmark

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The government is yet to confirm whether it will forge ahead with the proposal by Russia to invest in a nuclear power plant, an official said.

Russian nuclear giant Rosatom has offered to build a nuclear power plant that may run two reactors and generate 300 megawatts of energy. Russia has made similar investments in countries such as India and Bangladesh.

Earlier, Sri Lankan Ambassador in Russia Prof. Janita Liyanage told Daily Mirror that she, during a meeting with the representatives of Rosatom, said that Sri Lanka agrees to consider this proposal for investment in the nuclear energy sector.

Asked for a comment in this regard, Power and Energy Ministry Secretary Mapa Pathirana said there are multiple aspects to be looked into before deciding on a nuclear power plant and therefore the government has not reached any final position.

“We have to look at safety aspects. Also, we need to explore the international conventions on nuclear power,” he said. the government has not reached any final position. (Kelum Bandara)

Comments - 23

Christo255 Saturday, 17 June 2023 07:27 AM

Ah that's another beaucrat with cannot do mentality not wanting to embrace new technology. When the world runs out of fossil fuel, we need to be ready

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Jude Saturday, 17 June 2023 07:43 AM

If Russian company investing in the nuclear power plant then it's a good move to build a nuclear power plant. (On the basis of BOT, Build Operate and Transfer) Nuclear power plants are expensive to build but relatively cheap to run. Nowadays nuclear plants are very safe and nuclear waste stored safely disposed underground in a deep geologic repository.

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Amaran Saturday, 17 June 2023 07:45 AM

From BBC Russia has already stationed a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Vladimir Putin says.

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Tissa Atapattu Saturday, 17 June 2023 09:41 AM

i have already conveyed to the president the dangers of a nuclear plant in sl with easy access to terrorists of all types. we are a country with abundant sunshine and surrounded by ocean to harness solar or ocean/thermal energy. he may not heed my advice hence my comment here for public support of dissuading him for accepting a'wolf n sheeps clothing'

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No sunshine at night to generate power, the comment made by solar mafia man Saturday, 17 June 2023 02:52 PM

The comments come from a typical want to live with 5000 year old mentality. World is moving forward, but night time there is no way for solar plants to generate power. The most reliable form of power over the long run in the world is nuclear power. All the rest of the complaints are by the rooftop solar mafia fearful their no good too high price business will be found out, or the environmental nuts, who can't see a good thing for wanting to live with electricity altogether to save the planet.

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KD Saturday, 17 June 2023 09:57 AM

Yeah good. You can say good bye to Sri Lanka putting nuclear on a small island like this. Imagine how easy it is for one LTTE or ISIS terrorist to sabotage it and boom entire island is contaminated and people are dead. End of country.

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Poochie Baba Saturday, 17 June 2023 10:27 AM

All depends on the 10% or more!!!

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Sunil Saturday, 17 June 2023 10:48 AM

Advice to the Secretary to the ministry (as the minister will not understand anything about these issues): Please do not do it. It is very risky and dangerous.

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Mohan Saturday, 17 June 2023 11:39 AM

Do we need to take this risk for just 300 MW? We could easily achieve this through renewable energy projects.

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Senior Citizen Saturday, 17 June 2023 11:53 AM

Some new things springing up in the modern world are not a 100% safe and beneficial to humanity. We don't know whether reach and study on these will overall bring good or disaster some day in the future. Examples are AI AND NUCLEAR PLANT .

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Sam Saturday, 17 June 2023 12:18 PM

With so much of sun we should expand the solar energy

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S,Siva Saturday, 17 June 2023 02:02 PM

Its good to go Nuclear. Several Qualified Sri Lankans are there worldwide to operate these facilities and to guide the country if needed. However the country should handle the initial purchase of a facility by open tender and not on a gift / Financing arrangement so that it takes advantage of the latest technology which would obviously be the cheapest in the long run.

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Ram Saturday, 17 June 2023 03:30 PM

We need nuclear power. Just because Russia has offered unless it is free we must not jump accepting. First advertise for potential providers to give quotes and then decide.

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Kunchithapathan Saturday, 17 June 2023 04:55 PM

Country will have to consider going for nuclear Power Plant, as there isn't any option left for the government. We have been pushed against the wall up to this extent sadly, as CEB and the ministry miserably failed to do the home work in proper order for the last 75 years. So the Russians are tapping on the door and the USA had already put a heavy padlock on the door and keeping the key with them.

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Gayan Saturday, 17 June 2023 07:35 PM

Russian investments come with extreme hidden strings, which also include reduced activity on trade with the west and curtailing some democratic norms. Better sacrifice 300 Megawatts and continue to move on free trade and democracy.

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No free trade here nor allowing sending money overseas Sunday, 18 June 2023 08:06 PM

There is no democracy here. Even elections are put off. There is no free trade either with ample restrictions on imports and blocks of remitting funds overseas. Anything is better than hell hole way of doing things now.

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Nuke Sunday, 18 June 2023 04:35 AM

Considering the Cost is investment, post lifestyle decommissioning and spent fuel management, I doubt nuclear enemy is cost effective. Across the world plants are decommissioned and moving to renewable energy. As a country Sri Lanka may not be ready and we do not have much resources to manage these, we don’t have nuclear related research, knowledge and non of the universities have proper related education. We will have to solely depend on Russians on these. Considering the location and being a small geographic footprint, do we have enough land to have a secure perimeter incase in case of a disaster ?

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Say No to Russia Sunday, 18 June 2023 06:33 AM

We don't need nuclear waste in Sri Lanka. Just to get a pathetic 300MW.

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Where to get the 300MW from then? Sunday, 18 June 2023 08:07 PM

All these people think that electricity falls free from the sky in unlimited fashion. Hydro is best cheap source, but it thoroughly limited. Solar is only for day time when weather is good. Nuclear is more reliable than all other generation sources in the long run.

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VJ Sunday, 18 June 2023 08:47 AM

Nuclear generated power is clean energy. Used fuel can be safely stored. Never mind humanity, doesn’t exist in SL. If we are planning to buy power from India it is most likely nuclear generated. The Russians sold and built the nuclear power plant in Tamilnadu no strings attached. There too environmentalists and a long list of others protested. Today the state is selling power to neighboring states. The electricity department of Tamilnadu does not charge the consumers for the first 100 unit.

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DOT Sunday, 18 June 2023 02:21 PM

We shuld take this opportunity.

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Tissa Fernando Sunday, 18 June 2023 05:29 PM

CEB will block it because they want to receive commission from their private power stations.

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Lots of business interests and extreme environmentalist will try block it Sunday, 18 June 2023 08:09 PM

There is more than the employees and officials at CEB who will block it. There are extremists who think they can save the world, and global warming, who in the UK at least do mad things like glue themselves to the road to block traffic. The environmental crazy lot here blocked the new coal plant, and will do all sorts of tricks to block this too.

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