Nuclear Power Reactor for Sri Lanka

The offer from Russia (reported in the Daily Mirror of May 25) to help us develop nuclear power is most welcome. While hydropower is and will always be our primary source of electricity, the use of imported fossil fuels (oil, coal, and LNG – all imported) to provide the rest will add to the pollution and our carbon footprint. The wretched coal power plant at Norochcholai has been an unmitigated disaster. Electricity generation from wind and solaris not dependable – the sun must shine, and the wind must blow – and will not be able to fill the gap. Nuclear power stations produce electricity day and night without any carbon emissions.

Our friendly neighbour India with assistance from Russia, has developed their nuclear power in the 1960s when their first power reactor came on-line and now have 22 fully operational power stations including one located quite close to us at the Southern tip of the peninsula. Moreover, India is developing Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWR) that are designed to use thorium as a fuel in combination with uranium-233, which is bred from thorium. In Sri Lanka, Geological studies have revealed that Monazite (the mineral containing Thorium) is present in sands along the South Western and North Western coastline.

For a period approaching 50 years, France has been producing 70% of their electricity from nuclear power. The first power reactor in France was brought online in 1963 and now it has a total of 56. In contrast, Germany decided to close their nuclear plants, in favour of wind, Bio and solar, leading to a shortage of power for their industries and threatening an economic recession.

If the vision of the President to make Sri Lanka a developed country by 2048 is to be realized, we must ensure an independent supply of roundthe-clock electricity to fuel this development. We can develop emission-free electricity using only our resources, by fully developing our hydropower together with nuclear power - with some contribution from solar and wind.