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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Group of Twenty cooperation broke new ground with the release of a new publication examining the potential for nuclear power in Africa.
The IAEA launched the publication at a side event co-organized with the Clean Energy Ministerial and the South African Department of Electricity and Energy on the margins of a key Group of Twenty (G20) energy transitions meeting in South Africa as the bloc explores clean energy options for sustainable development.
Collaborating for Development
After participating for the first time as an invited organization during the G20’s Brazilian presidency last year, the IAEA is once again collaborating with the world’s largest economic bloc — this time under the South African presidency to advance work on nuclear power.
South Africa is for now the only African country with nuclear power, with its two-unit Koeberg Nuclear Power Station supplying nearly two gigawatts of electrical generation capacity. However, enthusiasm for nuclear power is building across the continent, where fossil fuels currently dominate energy production, accounting for more than 70% of electricity production.
South Africa is partnering with the IAEA during its G20 presidency and focusing on the implementation of nuclear new build programmes in Africa. There is particular interest in small modular reactors (SMRs) in Africa given the grid infrastructure requirements.
“The global interest in SMRs is increasing due to their ability to meet the need for flexible power generation for a wider range of users and applications as we move from high carbon emissions to lower carbon emission sources,” said Zizamele Mbambo, Deputy Director General for Nuclear Energy in South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.
Nuclear Power for Sustainable Growth
A growing number of African countries are interested in adding nuclear to their energy mix, with Egypt building its first nuclear power plant and countries including Ghana and Kenya working with the IAEA to develop the requisite infrastructure to launch their programmes.
The latest IAEA projections have nuclear capacity in Africa increasing tenfold by 2050 in the high case scenario, while even in the low case scenario the current figure grows by a factor of five.
The publication surveys the continent’s current energy landscape, highlighting the prospects for nuclear power to address the lack of electricity that is a daily reality for about half a billion people across Africa.
The report also takes an in-depth look at what is required to deploy enough nuclear to meet the continent’s significant energy needs, underscoring the importance of addressing financing challenges, implementing strong, supportive government policies and adopting a regional approach to nuclear power development, and details IAEA support in these and other areas.
“Access to reliable and low-carbon energy sources such as nuclear can enable Africa to further explore and more importantly also add benefits and value to its vast natural resources, including uranium,” said Frederik Reitsma, Head of the IAEA’s Nuclear Power Technology Development Section. “History has shown that the development of a nuclear power programme, and the development of the associated supply chain, drives industrial growth and leads to advanced technology development in other areas.”
The publication also discusses how SMRs could play a major role in Africa, highlighting benefits such as their suitability for the relatively small electric grids that are common in Africa as well as lower capital costs. Uranium mining is also identified as a significant growth opportunity for the continent, which is already home to three of the world’s top ten uranium producers: Namibia, Niger and South Africa.
“As the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) contributes to the development of an energy security framework for G20 nations, insight-rich resources such as the IAEA’s Outlook for Nuclear Energy in Africa are essential to address regional resource expansion and inform development across continents,” said Emma Wong, Nuclear Principal Lead for Innovation, Quantum Technology and International Development at EPRI in remarks delivered during the launch event. “By together leveraging every resource at our disposal, we can amplify the value of global efforts to deliver the economic, environmental, and societal benefits of energy abundance to society.”
“The Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) provides a trusted and inclusive platform where countries can engage in informed dialogue on the opportunities and challenges of nuclear energy, and advance practical cooperation aligned with their national priorities” said Jean-François Gagné, Head of the CEM Secretariat. “As a key international platform, the CEM supports governments in advancing their nuclear energy ambitions, including in emerging and developing economies. In Africa, the CEM NICE Future Initiative has actively worked with countries such as Ghana and Kenya, helping them explore the potential role of nuclear energy in their broader clean energy transitions. The CEM works in close partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange in support of national and regional goals.”
Looking ahead, the IAEA is preparing to engage at the G20’s Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting, scheduled for October in South Africa. The IAEA is currently developing a publication on the coal-to-nuclear transition which covers the economic benefits of converting former coal sites for nuclear power deployment and provides an overview of the technical aspects of the repurposing process. This report is set to be released just ahead of the meeting.