By Ismail B. Kandeh
If not any new form of international diplomatic ‘politrick’ wherein nations are been used as pawns in the new era of cold War and scramble among superpowers for influence in Africa, then this peaceful nuclear power plant idea must not be swept under the carpet by Africa’s leadership if the continent is to realise its twin dreams of combating climate change impact through greenhouse gas emissions reduction and long term cheap sustainable commercial power supply for industrialization.
The widespread propagandist belief that any African nation mulling the idea of peaceful nuclear plant would attract the wrath of some superpowers must be thrown to the dustbin. There is a consensual global objective for peace and prosperity to which peaceful nuclear power plant development is an essential contributor. It spurs industrialization for the much-needed job creation, growth, and economic development to engender global peace.
Nuclear power plant is a source of energy that guarantees electric supply, puts a stop to pollution g emissions, reduces exterior energy dependence and produces constant electricity as key basis for the continent’s industrialization for job creation, growth, and economic development. Africa’s most single important bottleneck to growth and prosperity is neither population explosion nor underdeveloped human capital but rather the lack of industrialization. And I’d a key obstacle to Africa’s industrialization is the lack of long term constant supply of cheap commercial electricity, which the development of peaceful nuclear power plant can provide so why not opt for the in the interest and for the benefits of our nations???
Africa must dispel the propagandist myth of wrath from superpowers when pursuing its legitimate interests and benefits. African nations’ s need not be disadvantaged friends to neither West nor East or the Middle. African nations just need to pursue peaceful non-confrontational and non-aligned foreign policy track where no superpower or nation is openly antagonised but remain manipulative of the mutual friendship with firm decision on what interest and benefit the masses of our nations. And that shouldn’t attract wrath from any supposedly friendly nation if they are really true friends.
Why must African nations not develop their own peaceful nuclear power plant for constant commercial electricity supply when the continent has and produces in abundance the single most important ingredient resources (uranium) while other nations that doesn’t even produce a single gram of uranium are doing significantly the same for their strategic interest and huge benefits to their masses??
Among the ten (10) uranium producing countries with total output of 49,000 MT in the world, three (3) are in Africa producing a total of 8,200 MT (Namibia – 6,000 MT; Niger – 2,000 MT; and South Africa – 200 MT). Out of these top ten uranium producing countries only five (5) of them, which are Canada (7,351 MT), Russia (2,508 MT), China (1,700 MT), India (600 MT), and South Africa (200 MT) have operating peaceful nuclear power plants (IAEA, 2022). Ironically, there are presently 422 operating peaceful nuclear power plants in 33 countries plus 58 plant units in construction in 18 countries around the world (IAEA, 2022) from which list Africa is almost completely absent. Out of this total number of peaceful nuclear power plants, Asia/Middle East accounts for 31.28% (132) operating units with 62.07% (36) units in construction; followed by Western Europe/EU Countries 27.49% (116) operating units with 17.24% (10) units in construction; North America 26.30% (111) operating units with 3.45% (2) units in construction; Eastern Europe 12.80% (54) operating units with 12.07% (7) units in construction; Latin America 1.66% (7) operating units with 3.45% (2) units in construction; and Africa only 0.4% (2) operating units (specific South Africa 2) with 1.72% (1) unit in construction (specific Egypt 1) (IAEA, 2022). And only of recent Mali, Niger, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone have officially mulled the idea to develop peaceful nuclear power plant for constant commercial electricity supply. Bravo and welcome this new wave of African industrial power revolution idea!!
The present power crisis is one single most important factor holding back Africa’s industrialization for economic development and no one is too sure if some traditional superpowers are sincere and genuine to let the continent off the hook!! For instance, the electricity crisis in Sierra Leone is often been used by some foreign superpowers and their international development financial institutions (DFIs) to upload dubious loans/debts to rake money out of the country, courtesy Africanist Press Chernor Alpha Bah. Why in just the 12 years Sierra Leone has been uploaded with over $615.5 million (Western Area Power Generation Project – $612 million and Bunbuna II Hydropower Project – $3.5 million) with no electricity in sight but the alternative Karpowership electricity arrangement at jaw breaking cost?? Not even convincing that the much expected $481 million MCC Compact grant to be spent on fixing the country’s electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure is purely for the interest and benefit of the nation if not for a cunning support to electricity sales maximisation from the western aid funded funded expected Bunbuna II and Westetn Area Power Projects. And even if these projects are completed and commissioned as long as they remain foreign funded and operated, they will ever remain to be unsustainable, conduit of exploitation, and tools for political manipulation.
Sierra Leone needs a nationally owned and operated sustainable industrial electricity plant. And if that is to come in the form of a well-negotiated no-red-string construction of a peaceful nuclear power plant even from a devilish friend so, be it!! peaceful nuclear power plant is the best environmentally climate change friendly and most economically rewarding source of constant industrial electricity supply. Apart from its significant greenhouse gas emissions reduction, cost per unit (kwh) of electricity is about eight (8) times cheaper and running cost about five (5) times cheaper as compared to that from Petroleum and hydro-based power plant as per my brief research findings.
No one need to scare anyone about the huge initial capital outlay because the almost $2.0 billion estimated cost of our expected 433 MW Projects (350 MW Bunbuna II Project at over $800 million plus 83 MW Western Area Power Project at over $700 million plus the Transmission/Distribution Infrastructure at $481 million MCC Compact grant) is far more costly compared to the construction of a relatively higher capacity brand new 750 MW peaceful nuclear power plant Estimated at about $1.9 billion as per my brief research findings. No one need to scare anyone about the danger of hazardous waste and radiation handling if our cousins in South Africa have successfully handled their own nuclear power plant for decades without any casualty. Can anyone hear us? LONTA.