Nuclear Power: A Clean Energy Solution?
How vital is energy around the world? From powering industrialization to domestic needs, energy is pretty important. It is a catalyst for economic development and productivity. Electricity has emerged as the most essential form of energy as it can be used for various activities. The world has used various primary energy resources with varying environmental impacts to get this electricity. Today, the climate change problem has necessitated the need for the world to undergo another transition and adopt clean energy to avoid climate change’s present and projected impacts.
Clean Energy
The generation of electricity typically requires a primary energy source. For example, Coal can be used to power turbines and generate electricity with associated tones of GHGs. Similarly, fossil fuels can also be used to create electricity but with a negative externality of GHG emissions. In simple terms, these energy sources are dirty. Therefore, an energy source that is clean and does not emit significant GHGs can be called a clean source. These energy sources are the naturally available sources like the sun, wind, tidal, geothermal, etc. The energy challenge is more than clean sources; it concerns availability, affordability, and accessibility. In a global context marked by the challenges of climate change, the importance of clean energy becomes evident as it plays a crucial role in mitigating emissions.
Source: World Energy Council
Additionally, it can bring advantages to communities that currently lack access to grid power sources. According to the United Nations, 675 million individuals live without adequate lighting, with four out of five residing in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the pressing need for sustainable energy solutions. Nigeria is home to approximately 200 million people, and recent statistics from the SDG7 energy tracking report put the number of people without access to energy at 85 million. Fundamentally, the energy gap in Nigeria is enormous and the highest in the world. The report concluded that despite significant improvement, Nigeria is not on track to meet the sustainable development goal 7.
Should Nuclear Energy be considered to meet the energy demand and for transition?
According to the International Energy Agency, nuclear energy plays an essential role in electricity generation, providing about 10 percent of global electricity generation. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, as of 2021, there were 437 operational nuclear power reactors in 32 countries, with the United States (U.S.) leading the way with 93 reactors. In Europe, France leads with 56 nuclear reactors.
China has 53 nuclear reactors in the Asia Pacific region, Japan has 33, and South Korea has 24.
Across the world, 56 new reactors are under construction in 19 countries, with China leading the way with 16 facilities being built.
Africa
Currently, only South Africa has a functional nuclear power plant, which was established in 1984. The sole operational reactor on the continent is located in Koeberg, near Cape Town, operationalized in 1984. Recently, countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have signed letters of intent with partners to explore potential uses of nuclear energy in the coming decade.
At COP28, 22 countries declared a global aspiration to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050 to meet climate goals and energy needs. The landmark declaration invited the World Bank, regional development banks, and international financial institutions to include nuclear energy in their lending while underscoring the need for secure supply chains to ramp up technology deployment.
Advantages of Nuclear Power
Nuclear power provides a reliable and concentrated base load of electricity. A proper nuclear power plant can generate large amounts of residential and industrial electricity. Interestingly, this power is carbon-free, as nuclear plants emit little or no emissions. Nuclear power can also complement renewable energy sources, contributing to the reliability of power systems and system adequacy.
Challenges with Nuclear power
The public perception of nuclear power is a dangerous endeavor. While this is not baseless due to incidents of nuclear disasters, it does not fully represent the industry. More research and technologies have gone into nuclear technologies to reduce the probability of failure.
The other challenge is the nuclear waste. Spent nuclear waste is radioactive and poses a significant challenge to dispose of safely. Currently, this is often stored in a safe space in the soil as a permanent solution to dealing with radioactive waste is limited.
Nuclear plants also require high investment costs and significant challenges convincing investors to invest in the plant. It also requires high operating costs and takes much time to construct.
Future Outlook for African Countries
Several African countries are making significant strides in nuclear power development:
- Egypt: Contracted Rosatom for a 4.8GW power plant. Construction started in 2022 and is aimed for completion by 2028.
- South Africa: Operating a nuclear plant at Koeberg, planning to procure 2.5GW by 2024, with operations set for 2030.
- Ghana: Collaborating on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) with the U.S. and Japan, negotiating a 123 Agreement with the U.S.
- Morocco: Engaging with the IAEA, partnering with Russia to build reactors and enhance nuclear capacity.
- Uganda: Acquired land for a nuclear power plant, signed agreements with Rosatom and CNNC, aiming to open a reactor by 2032.
- Rwanda: Working with the IAEA, establishing a nuclear training centre with Russia, progressing with policy board appointments, and potentially advancing in rankings by 2023.
In Conclusion, the SSA has the highest energy deficit in the world, with approximately 600 million people without access to electricity. This deficit requires significant investment to meet the energy demand, and the energy mix offers a better outlook for system reliability. While the risk from nuclear power is substantial, it remains a viable source of clean and concentrated energy.
