Plans by some countries in sub-Saharan Africa to incorporate nuclear energy in their electricity generation mix are feasible, despite the colossal challenges associated with nuclear plants, a new study has found.

While opinion is deeply divided on whether sub-Sahara Africa is ready for nuclear energy, largely over concerns about safety, massive capital costs and environmental impacts, besides others, the study, published by the US-based Centre for Global Development (CGD), avers that Kenya, Tanzania Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Sudan, Niger, Uganda and Namibia are some of the countries that have the potential to incorporate nuclear in their power mix.

The study shows that, with stronger financing and good-quality infrastructure, coupled with assistance from foreign reactor vendors, these countries will likely build nuclear power plants in the long term.

In Africa, only South Africa has an operating nuclear power plant, which has a capacity of 1 800 MW.

“In the short term, we expect to see more progress on regulatory and infrastructure milestones. In the longer term, we expect one to five countries in Africa to begin commercial nuclear programmes, most with the help of a foreign reactor vendor,” states the study, titled ‘Atoms for Africa: Is There a Future for Civil Nuclear Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa?’

It adds that advances in nuclear power technology, particularly technology that facilitates designs that are smaller, simpler and safer, will accelerate the deployment of commercial nuclear plants on the continent.

Further, new business models, such as build-own-operate, offshore nuclear and vendor-financed projects, will help overcome the challenge of limited State capabilities.

“Small modular reactors could lower the barrier for grid capabilities, allowing countries access to nuclear, and the build-own-operate model could help countries overcome financial, human capital and regulatory obstacles,” notes the report.

Russia, China and South Korea have emerged as the key vendors determined to assist African countries build nuclear plants.

State-owned companies like Russia’s Rosatom, China General Nuclear, China National Nuclear Corporation and Korea Electric Power Corporation, in particular, are pushing the build-own-operate model on the continent.

The companies have signed dozens of nuclear cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding with African countries, ranging from research and development and human resource development agreements to pacts for full reactor projects.

According to the CGD study, despite the potential and interest in nuclear power in sub-Saharan Africa, there remains significant challenges to adopting the technology on the continent.

Firstly, African countries must meet the 19 stringent conditions set by the International Atomic Energy Agency to be allowed to build a nuclear plant. These include a watertight regulatory framework, guarantees on radiation protection, a strong electricity grid, security guarantees, radioactive waste management and well-trained personnel.

There are also concerns that nuclear power plants currently on the market, with capacities of 1 000 MW or more, exceed the capacity that many African countries can support. This is based on the rule of thumb that no power plant in a country should have a capacity exceeding 10% of that country’s grid capacity.