South Africa has the technological capability to produce nuclear energy, but it needs a chain of command to build nuclear reactors and higher technological understanding by mathematicians and scientists.

This is according to nuclear project management company Nuclear Africa CEO Kelvin Kemm, who spoke at the eighteenth yearly Power and Electricity World Africa conference, held in Sandton, Johannesburg, last month.

He stated that South Africa had well-established nuclear expertise and could ensure national energy security, but added that, for nuclear programmes to be effective, they had to be under local management.

“We are looking towards 50% localisation in nuclear energy. Further, nuclear power will not harm the coal industry. “We could actually use nuclear to produce more petrol and diesel. While the initial capital investment in nuclear infrastructure is substantial, the real cost of nuclear power is much cheaper than coal,” Kemm argued.

Solar and wind power were intermittent, he said, adding that they were not delivering a significant and reliable baseline of power and were, therefore, mostly suited to isolated communities.

Although Kemm acknowledged the public fears regarding nuclear energy, he was quick to dispel them, stating that there was no unsolved waste problems in nuclear.

“There is no secrecy in this business, but one of the faults of nuclear science and technology is that scientists have not spoken to the public, which creates an illusion of secrecy. Many do not attempt to explain nuclear power,” he said.

Meanwhile, he noted that there were 70 nuclear reactors under construction worldwide and that nuclear could potentially expand in Africa.

Of South Africa’s energy use, only 6% is derived from nuclear power, while 80% of France’s energy is derived from nuclear; 3% of India’s energy use is derived from nuclear power, but the country plans to increase this to 10% by 2022. The US derives 20% of its energy use from nuclear and South Korea 40%.