Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board says the first nuclear power plant can be built on the island by 2032 with technical support from Russia, if all things go as planned.

This was mentioned when the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Energy and Transport met in Parliament to discuss the current status and future activities of the Atomic Energy Board. The meeting was chaired by MP Nalaka Bandara Kottegoda.

There was a discussion at length regarding the production of skilled professionals in the field of welding and related technology in Sri Lanka. The members of the committee pointed out that there is a great demand for experts in this field in industrialized countries including Korea and the need for a formal mechanism to produce skilled workers with formal certificates in the said field.

Officials mentioned that the training and certification system for those who already have professional experience in this sector and those who are new entrants to the field is conducted at the training centre run by the board.

However, since there is no proper awareness among the people about this training, the committee advised to prepare a plan and take steps to make awareness and involve more young people.

It was also discussed that Saudi Arabia hopes to get preserved coconut coir from Sri Lanka for the project of planting 10 billion trees in Saudi Arabia. Committee’s chairman MP Kottegoda mentioned that the country can get a large amount of foreign exchange by providing facilities for the said process of sterilization. Accordingly, the committee advised the Atomic Energy Board to take steps to prepare the sterilization facility.