Page 5 - AfrElec Week 06 2023

AfrElec COMMENTARY AfrElec

Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) has an equivalent of a third of the country’s total
estimated the project would cost about $50mn, installed capacity, to address power outages. The
with construction works planned for 2030, a test West African country in 2016 reportedly sealed
run four years later and full operations projected a $80bn plan for four nuclear stations with Rosa-
for 2036. tom but this never materialised.
Uganda is considering three sites for the con-
struction of two 1,000-MW reactors, by 2031. A risky path
This follows agreements reached by the Ugandan The influence of Russia and China can – and
Ministry of Energy with Russian and Chinese likely will – completely change the continent of
investors. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni Africa, and probably not for the better, analysts
in 2022 asked Russian Foreign Minister Sergei believe. Russian influence in particular is dan-
Lavrov for Russia’s help in building East Afri- gerous for the continent as it is rarely discussed
ca’s first NPP. In May, the International Atomic or monitored. This is a lofty concern when it
Energy Agency (IAEA) gave Uganda the green comes to Russia, which is not exactly known for
light to start construction of the nuclear plant. being a team player committed to the greater
After the discovery of uranium deposits four good of peace.
years ago, Tanzania is also looking for help from While the levity of influence over Africa may
Rosatom and its subsidiary Uranium One to sound exaggerated, it is continuing to grow and At least seven
build a research reactor and subsequently set up is showing no sign of slowing. Russian influence
a commercial nuclear plant. Uranium One has can be seen in countries including Mali, which African countries
a licence to mine uranium in the Mkuju River pushed out both French and UK forces following are at various
within the Selous Game Reserve. an upsurge in pro-Russian sentiment.
Rwanda is also making significant strides In the weeks following the onset of the Rus- stages in the roll-
after signing a deal with Rosatom to build a cen- sia-Ukraine war last February, pro-Russian
tre of nuclear science and technologies, in Octo- protests were held in Burkina Faso, the Central out of nuclear
ber 2019. While other countries on the continent African Republic (CAR) and Mali, showing the
are chasing after large projects, Rwanda plans to extent of Russia’s entrenchment in the region. power plants
build two Small Modular Reactor (SMR) units, Moreover, the withdrawal of French and UK
each with a capacity around 100 MW. Ghana also troops from Mali leaves a void for the Wagner
is not far behind, as it is reportedly in the process Group, a Russian private military company that
of designing its own nuclear plant. has been increasing its presence there over recent
Morocco has advanced its plans for nuclear months.
energy after the release of a report in June 2022 Furthermore, it has been argued that it is
that gives its legislators recommendations for rather dangerous for Africa to go nuclear. The
making a switch to cleaner energy sources. continent is highly unstable, having experienced
In March last year, Nigeria, Africa’s most-pop- seven coups in the past year. This leaves nuclear
ulous country, began the process of securing plants open to terrorist attacks and sabotage.
funding for a 4,000-MW NPP. The country is Should that occur, it could spell disaster not only
betting on the four-reactor power plant with for Africa but for the rest of the world as well.™

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