Nuclear in Africa – Serene’s Synopsis 85
As countries in Africa continue to grow and industrialize, their demand for energy has increased, prompting the expansion of the energy sector. As about “57% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa does not have access to electricity,” many African countries are considering the implementation of nuclear power.
Plentiful electricity would be extremely valuable for economic growth in developing nations; one of Ghana’s prominent sources of revenue comes from bauxite, the ore used to produce aluminum, but without enough electricity to sustain its population, the country cannot afford to process it into aluminum. Instead, Ghana exports the raw ore, which limits the profits that the nation can earn from its natural resource. Kenya is also looking at nuclear energy, as its demand for electricity is estimated to increase by 30% by 2030. Nuclear energy would provide reliable and clean energy, making energy accessible to citizens and fostering further growth.
Investing in nuclear energy is reminiscent of the popular quote regarding when to plant a tree, which goes along the lines of “the best time is 20 years ago, and the second-best time is now.” The installation of proper infrastructure along with the first fission plant is estimated to take 10-15 years, which is precious time for a developing nation and requires extremely large investments. Deciding to introduce nuclear energy is extremely costly because it warrants establishing the necessary infrastructure, including a grid capacity recommended by the IAEA to be about ten times the capacity of the proposed plant. As a result, supporters have suggested investing in an SMR instead, as they have lower upfront costs and a lower energy capacity would be required. However, African countries are hesitant because this technology is brand new and its viability has yet to be confirmed. Considering how expensive nuclear power plants are to create, investors are unwilling to bet their money on a project that has not been proven to be reliable.
It’s really exciting that new nations are considering implementing nuclear energy as they continue to develop. It would be extremely beneficial for a country that is actively expanding, so getting one set up as early as possible is very advantageous. However, I know that nuclear power plants are extremely costly to set up, so it is a massive investment. I don’t know exactly how likely it is that nuclear will be adopted any time soon, but I’m certainly rooting for it!
I find it extremely impressive that several African countries are extremely environmentally-conscious, not only with the consideration of nuclear power, but also with wind and solar. Something interesting I learned about recently in developing nations is the concept of “leapfrogging,” where some countries are able to make technological shortcuts in comparison to developed countries. For example, nations that are recently growing in wealth are investing in remote communication, but instead of spending many years using landlines, they can go straight to mobile phones. The advantage of having a late start is that they can skip over all of the outdated stuff, which is really interesting. Maybe advanced energy sources are no exception!
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