Given the acute shortage of affordable power in most of Africa, the continent needs all the sources it can tap, from oil and gas to renewables like wind and solar. Now, it can also, reports Laurent Soucaille, develop small nuclear reactors, tailored to its energy needs and at lower costs .
Africa needs far more electricity than it currently produces for its everyday use. In addition, new growth drivers such as artificial intelligence will require vast new generation capacity if the continent is to make full use of new technologies in its drive towards industrialisation and growth.
The solution is mini-grids. Worldwide, half of these use solar power, 35% hydroelectric power, and the remainder fossil fuels. However, there is another way to power them: SMRs, or small modular reactors.
The World Nuclear Association defines these as “nuclear reactors, generally with a capacity of 300 MW or less, designed using modular technology, factory-built in the form of modules, aimed at achieving economies of scale through mass production and reducing construction times”.
Although relatively new technology, SMRs are expanding very rapidly across the globe. According to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), SMRs offer numerous advantages. They are particularly well-suited to replacing electricity generation from fossil fuels in remote communities and industries. They can also operate flexibly alongside renewable energy sources to ensure a continuous supply of electricity.
In this context, Africa has one major asset: its uranium; the continent accounts for 15% of global production, located mainly in Namibia, Niger and South Africa, whilst significant reserves have been identified in Botswana, Tanzania and Zambia. However, almost all of Africa’s uranium is exported to developed countries, where conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication and reactor-related services take place.
An unrivalled combination
Hafez Ghanem of the Policy Centre for the New South, believes it is time to move away from the colonial system of resource exploitation and for Africa to start using its own uranium to generate clean electricity.
It is also encouraging given that the international community, which has long been cautious about the use of nuclear energy, appears to be more supportive of it since COP28 in Dubai in 2023. At the conference, 25 countries, including Morocco and Ghana, committed to tripling their nuclear capacity by 2050. The World Bank decided a year ago to lift its ban on financing nuclear projects.
In Africa, SMRs face strong competition from renewable sources, for which Africa has considerable potential. This is all the more so as the cost of wind, solar and hydro has fallen rapidly and continues to decline. Furthermore, Africa can rely on its natural gas, although its extraction is itself a matter of debate.
Under these circumstances, some observers, such as economists at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, are sceptical about the viability of SMRs.
These small-scale reactors remain costly, slow to build and too risky to play a significant role in the energy transition over the next 15 years. This is not the view of other organisations, such as the IAEA. Its Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated, while signing an agreement with the World Bank last year: “SMRs hold great potential to power progress cleanly and reliably and to combat poverty.”
Nick Katsiotis, who has advised both private firms and the US government for 35 years, argues that SMRs offer “an unrivalled combination of scalability, stability and low carbon intensity”, and that they are “particularly well placed to meet the energy needs of the 21 st century”. Renewable sources cannot provide uninterrupted baseload power 24 hours a day, seven days a week, unlike SMRs.
Furthermore, the cost of small reactors is falling as their manufacture becomes standardised, to the point where they will soon be competitive with solar and wind power.
A diversified supply
Another positive aspect of SMRs, notes Hafez Ghanem, is that they do not require significant public investment as well. “They can attract private investors, thanks to their low unit costs and modular nature”, as their high return on investment, especially if cogeneration is factored in. Indeed, SMRs can produce industrial heat and hydrogen, as well as electricity.
He adds, “Africa does not have to choose” between renewables, gas and SMR reactors. In any case, ensuring universal access to electricity in Africa requires colossal investment and cannot be achieved through public funds alone. It is necessary to attract private investment. “This is why African countries need to put in place appropriate institutional and regulatory frameworks to encourage private energy investment.” They will, of course, need to develop the necessary human resources and appropriate safety frameworks.
Hafez Ghanem concludes: “Unquestionably, SMRs appear to offer very interesting options for developing countries. However, going nuclear does not mean ignoring other sources of energy, especially renewables and natural gas.
“Africa has huge energy needs, and it can meet those needs through diverse energy sources. Immediate priorities are to put in place the legal and regulatory frameworks to attract private energy investment, and to build the institutions and capacity to supervise and develop a safe and efficient nuclear sector . ”
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Will mini reactors solve Africa’s energy crisis?
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