However, internal sources said that despite nuclear power being included in the country’s long-term generation plan, the government led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is not yet ready to move forward with any such project.
A Japanese delegation has also inquired about Sri Lanka’s readiness for nuclear power generation, underscoring renewed international attention on the island’s energy sector.
Russia, in particular, has been pressing successive Sri Lankan governments for several years to invest in nuclear power. Russian Ambassador Levan S. Dhagarian recently met with Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody and discussed the proposal once again, in the presence of officials from the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Authority (SLAEA).
According to ministry sources, the minister told the delegation that Sri Lanka is not yet ready to take any concrete steps, such as signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with any party for a nuclear project.
The government has also decided to review the legal and regulatory framework initiated by the previous administration to facilitate nuclear energy development.
Russia had earlier proposed establishing a 110 MW nuclear power plant in Sri Lanka, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had already reviewed potential sites for such a facility. However, the government has yet to take a final decision on the matter.
Meanwhile, a senior official at the SLAEA said the authority recently held discussions with Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha regarding India’s willingness to cooperate if Sri Lanka proceeds with nuclear power generation.
The official also confirmed that a Japanese delegation had recently made similar inquiries about Sri Lanka’s future plans in the nuclear energy sector.
