Years back, nuclear energy was a fancy option limited to the
industrialized world. In due course, nuclear could be an energy source for much
of Africa, where only South
Africa currently has a nuclear power plant.Governments
across the continent are devising development policies to become middle-income
countries in the medium term. Socioeconomic growth comes with a rise in energy
demand—and a need for a reliable and sustainable energy supply.
For
industrializing countries in need of a clean, reliable and cost-effective
source of energy, nuclear is an attractive option.
“Africa is hungry for energy, and nuclear power could be
part of the answer for an increasing number of countries,” says Mikhail
Chudakov, deputy director general and head of the Department of Nuclear Energy
at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an international organisation
that promotes the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
A
third of the almost 30 countries currently considering nuclear power are in
“Energy
is the backbone of any strong development,” says NiiAllotey, director of the
Nuclear Power Institute at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. “And where do we
get energy from? We have hydro, thermal, fossil fuels, and we have local
gas—but these are dwindling. They are limited; fossil fuels could run out by
2030. And, the prices are volatile.”
For
Ghana ,
cost-effective, reliable electricity is the entry point to higher-value-added
manufacturing and export-led growth. For example, the country’s reserves of
bauxite—the ore used to produce aluminium—are an important source of income,
but for now it is exported raw.
“We
have a smelter, but it’s not operating at full capacity because electricity is
too expensive,” Mr. Allotey says. “If we had cost-effective electricity, we
would not be exporting raw bauxite, but exporting smelted bauxite at a much
higher price. This would be a big move for Ghana .”
Power To The People
African governments are working to make electricity more widely accessible. Roughly 57% of the population of sub-SaharanAfrica
does not have access to electricity. For many, the electricity supply is
characterised by frequent power outages, according to the International Energy
Agency, an organisation of 30 mostly industrialised countries that have met a
set of energy security criteria.
African governments are working to make electricity more widely accessible. Roughly 57% of the population of sub-Saharan
A
successful nuclear power programme requires broad political and popular support
and a national commitment of at least 100 years.
“For
a long time in our country electrification levels were low, but the government
has put in a lot of efforts towards electrifying the entire country,” says Winfred
Ndubai, acting director of the Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board’s Technical
Department. “Even those areas that were considered to be remote are now
vibrant. Within a period of about 10 years we have moved from [a] 12%
electrification rate to 60%.”
Is Africa Ready For Nuclear?
“Going nuclear is not something that happens from one day to the next. From the moment a country initiates a nuclear power programme until the first unit becomes operative, years could pass,” says MilkoKovachev, head of the IAEA’s Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section, which works with countries new to nuclear power.
“Going nuclear is not something that happens from one day to the next. From the moment a country initiates a nuclear power programme until the first unit becomes operative, years could pass,” says MilkoKovachev, head of the IAEA’s Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section, which works with countries new to nuclear power.
“Creating
the necessary nuclear infrastructure and building the first nuclear power plant
will take at least 10 to 15 years.”
A
successful nuclear power programme requires broad political and popular support
and a national commitment of at least 100 years, Mr. Kovachev added. This
includes committing to the entire life cycle of a power plant, from
construction through electricity generation and, finally, decommissioning.
In
addition to time, there is the issue of costs. Governments and private
operators need to make a considerable investment that includes projected waste
management and decommissioning costs. Mr. Kovachev points out that “the
government’s investment to develop the necessary infrastructure is modest
relative to the cost of the first nuclear power plant. But [it] is still in the
order of hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Financing Nuclear Energy
Without proper financing, nuclear is not an option. “Most countries inAfrica will find it difficult to invest this amount of
money in a nuclear power project,” Mr. Kovachev stresses. “But there are
financing mechanisms like, for instance, from export agencies of vendor countries.
Tapping into a reliable, carbon-free supply of energy when vendors are offering
to fund it can make sense for several countries in Africa .”
Without proper financing, nuclear is not an option. “Most countries in
Another
aspect to consider is the burden on the electrical grid system of the country.
Nuclear power plants are connected to a grid through which they deliver
electricity. For a country to safely introduce nuclear energy, the IAEA
recommends that its grid capacity be around ten times the capacity of its
planned nuclear power plant. For example, a country should have a capacity of
10,000 megawatts already in place to generate 1,000 megawatts from nuclear
power.
Few
countries in Africa currently have a grid of
this capacity. “In Kenya ,
our installed capacity is 2,400 megawatts—too small for conventional, large
nuclear power plants,” Ms. Ndubai says. “The grid would need to increase to
accommodate a large unit, or, alternatively, other, smaller nuclear power plant
options would need to be explored.”
One
option is to invest in small modular reactors (SMRs), which are among the most
promising emerging technologies in nuclear power. SMRs produce electric power
up to 300 megawatts per unit, or around half of a traditional reactor and their
major components can be manufactured in a factory setting and transported to
sites for ease of construction.
While
SMRs are expected to begin commercial operation in Argentina ,
China and Russia between
2018 and 2020, African countries are still wary of such a project.
“One
of the things we are very clear about in terms of introducing nuclear power is
that we do not want to invest in a first-of-a-kind technology,” Ms. Ndubai
says. “As much as SMRs represent an opportunity for us, we would want them to
be built and tested elsewhere before introducing them in our country.”
Joining
a regional grid is another option. “Historically, it has been possible to share
a common grid between countries,” Mr. Kovachev explains. “But, of course, this
requires regional dialogue.” One example of such a scheme is the West African
Power Pool, created to integrate national power systems in the Economic
Community of West African States into a unified regional electricity market.
Another
factor militating against a headlong rush into nuclear power is popular
rejection of projects that are costly and hard to finance.
Also,
countries are wary that in the event of a nuclear power plant accident,
released radioactive materials will harm the environment and lives. Although no
fatalities were recorded in the Fukushima
nuclear disaster in Japan
in March 2011 following the TÅhoku earthquake, the release of radioactive
materials forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents.
IAEA Assistance
While the IAEA does not influence a country’s decision about whether to add nuclear power to its energy mix, the organisation provides technical expertise and other pertinent information about safe, secure and sustainable use to countries that opt for nuclear energy.
While the IAEA does not influence a country’s decision about whether to add nuclear power to its energy mix, the organisation provides technical expertise and other pertinent information about safe, secure and sustainable use to countries that opt for nuclear energy.
Safety
and security are key considerations in the IAEA Milestones Approach, a phased
method created to assist countries that are assessing their readiness to embark
on a nuclear power programme. The approach helps them consider aspects such as
the legal framework, nuclear safety, security, radiation protection,
environmental protection and radioactive waste management.
“Many,
many people ask the question: Why nuclear?” Mr. Allotey says. “To me, it’s not
about nuclear being an option. It is about energy being an option. Do you, as a
country, need energy? And the simple answer is yes. So if you need energy, you
need to find cost-effective electricity that is clean and reliable.”
“With
a rapidly expanding population and plans to grow our economies, we need to work
within these constraints,” he adds. “We are a continent that is in dire need of
energy.”
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