Colombo: As Sri Lanka embarks on the development of its nuclear power programme, the country is making progress in establishing the necessary nuclear infrastructure, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review mission that recently concluded.
According to EMM, the follow-up Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission, conducted at the request of the Government of Sri Lanka, took place from 14 to 18 July 2025. The mission team, comprising two international experts from Bulgaria and Türkiye and two IAEA staff, assessed the progress made to address the recommendations and suggestions of the Phase 1 2022 INIR mission. A Phase 1 INIR mission assesses the readiness of a country to make a knowledgeable commitment to a nuclear power programme using the Phase 1 criteria of the IAEA Milestones Approach and Evaluation Methodology. The 2022 mission made 26 recommendations and 6 suggestions to assist Sri Lanka in advancing its infrastructure development.
Sri Lanka is actively working on addressing the recommendations and suggestions from the main INIR mission in 2022, said mission team leader John Haddad from IAEA’s Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section. This indicates the level of commitment of Sri Lanka to conduct the required studies and make a knowledgeable decision regarding the nuclear power programme.
In the opening ceremony for the INIR Mission, Hon. Eng. Kumara Jayakody, Cabinet Minister of Energy, welcomed the INIR mission as a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s journey towards a secure, sustainable, and forward-looking energy future as decisive steps are taken in exploring the role of nuclear power in the national energy mix.
Nuclear Power is included as an energy source within the CEB Least Cost Long Term Generation and Expansion Plan 2025-2044. According to the plan, accommodating a nuclear power unit above 600 MWe to the Sri Lankan network will be technically challenging due to the network’s condition, projected demand growth, and the generation mix expected to be dominated by variable renewable energy sources. The team highlighted that further work is needed related to the finalization of strategies and studies in various areas of infrastructure development such as management, human resource development, stakeholder involvement, radioactive waste management, and industrial involvement.