Africa’s overall progress is slow, requiring an ambitious shift towards nuclear energy tailored to meeting the continent’s unique needs and opportunities, Claver Gatete, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), has said.
“South Africa’s Koeberg plant has operated safely for 40 years, proving that nuclear energy works on the continent,” said Gatete in his an op-ed titled “It is Time for Africa to Embrace Nuclear Energy”, dismissing claims that nuclear energy development will end up to nuclear war on the continents.
Noting that Africa accounts for 17 percent of the world’s population and generates less than 3 percent of global electricity Gatete said a staggering 600 million people across Africa remain without access to electricity.
He said even as Africa exports uranium and other critical minerals to power many parts of the world and from now on it should develop nuclear energy to spur its industrialisation, improve healthcare services and drive economic transformation.
He said Egypt, Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria and Zambia – are firmly committed to starting or expanding their nuclear energy programs while governments in Niger, Kenya, Tunisia, Morocco, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Namibia, D.R. Congo, Senegal, Algeria and Zimbabwe are working towards the role of nuclear energy in their future electricity supply systems.
According to the executive secretary, the International Energy Agency estimates that growth in Africa’s industry, commerce and Agriculture will require electricity demand to grow by 40 percent by 2030.
‘African Continental Free Trade Area electricity needs will account for 8 percent of the total continental electricity capacity by 2035, and 14 percent by 2040, requiring additional investment of $22.4 billion between 2025 and 2040,” he said.
The executive secretary also indicated that by 2040, due to rapid population and economic growth in Africa, the electricity supply must expand by more than four times, urging African countries to accelerate their nuclear energy developments.
MG/as/APA