by Our Correspondent in Colombo
Sri Lanka is poised to move forward with plans to construct three nuclear power plants, each generating 900 megawatts of electricity, by 2035. The country’s Atomic Energy Board Chairman, Professor S. R. D. Rosa, confirmed that the Attorney General’s Department has reviewed the Expression of Interest (EOI) for the project, and a cabinet paper will be submitted to the Cabinet in early January 2025. The project will be awarded to a suitable investor, with all costs covered by the investor company, while the government will purchase the electricity generated at an affordable rate.
The government has identified unpopulated coastal areas in Mannar and Pulmuda as potential sites for the plants, with a final decision to be made after further studies.
However, reliable sources within one of the top foreign embassies in Colombo, which has a longstanding relationship with Sri Lanka, have raised concerns over an opposition to the project. These sources claim that certain foreign entities, particularly from countries with vested interests in the region, are actively attempting to prevent the construction of nuclear power plants in Sri Lanka.
“Several times, Sri Lanka has proposed nuclear power projects, but certain bottlenecks were created, seemingly influenced by foreign powers who do not want Sri Lanka to achieve energy independence,” the source said.
