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| Fig. 1: Expanding the African electrical grid. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
Since the turn of the century, the African continent has seen a lot of positive growth. Over the last two decades, its economy has grown by 5.49% and 5.05% in the 2001-2005 and 2006-2010 periods, respectively, which has outpaced world averages of 2.91% and 2.27% during the same timeframes. [1] Although these economic numbers show positive growth, African nations are still struggling to provide their citizens with reliable electricity. Approximately 625 million Africans live without reliable access to electricity, something that stands out when compared to the rest of the developed world. [2] Africa's growth sets it on course to join the rest of the developed world, but it cannot do this without providing sustainable and reliable energy to its population. Nuclear energy, although costly and time intensive at first, could be a viable solution to Africa's energy problem.
Africa's increasing demand for energy comes at a time where much of the world is looking for renewable alternatives to carbon intensive energy sources. Nuclear power has the ability to both satisfy Africa's energy demand while also reducing their carbon footprint. Additionally, this energy source has the capability of solving the continent's energy deficit issue. Many sub-Saharan countries are not well developed in their power sectors, which places the region in a $90 billion annual power infrastructural deficit. [2] Also, fossil fuel power sources require continuous transportation of fuel, which is challenging in Africa due to lacking pipeline and transportation infrastructure. [2] However, nuclear power plants impose fewer constraints on location because of denser fuel and lesser size, allowing them to be more strategically placed in order to reduce transportation and transmission costs. [2] Nuclear energy can therefore serve as a solution to Africa's energy deficit as well as their energy infrastructure issues while also providing the population with a carbon-free source of reliable energy.
Implementing nuclear energy does not come without challenges. The finances needed to develop nuclear plants are a challenge to African nations who may see a need to spend such large amounts of capital elsewhere. Additionally, the financing costs are heightened due to long development periods (5 to 10 years), as well as a small supply of human capital. [2] The next major issue is related to the current electrical grid system of African countries. It is strongly advised that no single power plant should have an output that exceeds ten percent of a nation's total grid capacity. [2] The vast majority of African countries do not have the infrastructure to support the output of a nuclear power plant and expanding this infrastructure is a very expensive and tedious process (see Fig. 1). For example, the typical nuclear power plant produces a power output that exceeds 1000 megawatts. For this reason, South Africa is the only African country currently operating a nuclear power plant. Even with its current grid capacity, South Africa plans on expanding its grid by an additional 9600 megawatts to increase its proportion of electricity from nuclear energy to 25%, up from its current 5%, by 2025. [2] Therefore, African nations with nuclear ambitions will have to find solutions to both the financing and electrical infrastructure issues if they wish to implement nuclear power as a form of energy.
If African nations want to join the world middle-class, they will need to satisfy a growing energy demand from their populations. Nuclear power has the ability to provide reliable and sustainable energy to these people in the foreseeable future. Many African nations, such as Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, Egypt, Sudan, Niger, and Nigeria, have already began to set up plans for building capacity and infrastructure for nuclear energy. [2] Although there are several challenges to implementation, many solutions have been proposed to solve the infrastructure and financing issues. In regard to grid infrastructure, African nations have the option of installing small module reactors, which produce a lower output of energy that the current grids could accommodate. [2] Africa could receive financing help from foreign nuclear power developers such as China, Russia, and France. [2] In conclusion, among its challenges, nuclear energy should be seen as a viable option to solving Africa's energy problem with reliable, carbon-free energy in the foreseeable future.
© Jack Little. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] E. E. O. Opoku and I. K.-M. Yan, "Industrialization as Driver of Sustainable Economic Growth in Africa," J. Int. Trade Econ. Dev. 28, No.1, 30 (2018).
[2] A. Sah et al., "Atoms for Africa: Is There a Future for Civil Nuclear Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa?," Center For Global Development, Policy Paper 124, April 2018.
