By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
Countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia are currently working with IAEA who is supporting them as Embarking Countries in Establishing National Infrastructure for Research Reactors program and this is progressing well considering the milestones approach of the IAEA.
The African continent is one of the fastest growing energy markets in the world. This is due to the growing economic and demographic potential of African countries, as well as the efforts of many of them to combat climate change. Despite having passed through a long period of tumultuous post-colonial era, Africa’s efforts on ensuring effective energy cooperation with leading global powers has not been an easy journey down the years. Until today, more than half on the estimated 1.4 billion still have no access to electric power for domestic utilization while industries continue suffering from frequent power outrages (interruptions), thus adversely affecting the level of industrial production across Africa.
Several summits, conferences and whatever have offered Africa the lee-way to network for potential external collaborations and tackle its ultimate energy deficits. Some energy experts still believe that African leaders have faced multiple obstacles in resolving the energy question on the continent. These obstacles include outright inability to prioritise the energy sector and redirect funds in securing energy both for domestic and industrial use. Some experts also say Africa countries lack the adequate funds needed for energy, while style of approach grossly differs from one country to the other depending on objective assessments of existing concrete conditions across Africa.
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the plenary session of the Russian Energy Week international forum, on 11th October 2023, spoke at a considerable length, briefly touched on Africa. Putin stressed the readiness to support Africa with its steps in ensuring energy security on the continent. His arguments was based on the logical comprehensive Russia-Africa energy cooperation and also made reference to the fourth power unit at the El Dabaa NPP in Egypt which is being built ahead of schedule.
This is Russia’s illustrative flagship project on the African continent, but it is not only limited to the construction of the facility. In fact, Russia is seriously cooperating with Egyptian specialists to develop the nuclear energy industry in that north African country from scratch, which includes training personnel, providing maintenance support and so on. In other words, Russia is supporting Egypt to embark on the path to sovereign energy development.
This integrated and systemic approach is one of Rosatom’s main competitive advantages, not to mention its traditionally high safety and reliability standards. In reiterating its energy status, Russia is fully independent in terms of technology, both at the construction stage and during the maintenance of nuclear power plants. “At the same time, we are not against the participation of companies from third countries in the construction of nuclear power plants that we have designed,” explained Putin at the plenary session. It was the sixth Russian Energy Week (REW) held under the theme ‘The New Reality of Global Energy: Building the Future’ and gathered over 4,000 participants from more than 60 countries, including government representatives, executives of major energy companies and organisations, scientists and experts.
The main objective was to critically assess the trends of and prospects for global energy, exchange opinions on the challenges the global fuel and energy sector faces and, further discuss how to ensure the long-term stability of the global energy markets. With Moscow as the host, the REW placed emphasis on the global economy within the context of transitioning to the multipolar model with several growth centres, and importance of each country defined by how it responds in the framework of the irreversible geopolitical processes, and how efficiently it can defend its economic, industrial, technological and energy sovereignty, readjust investment, trade and cooperation ties.
Of course, there are other options, as part of the energy mix, available such as the hydroelectric and solar power. China and India are offering Africa solar power to argument the existing energy supply in the continent. Russia’s RusHydro, with hyperbolic interest in Africa, has been involved in designing and building more than 350 facilities in 54 countries around the world. Today, the company supplies its technological solutions to 17 countries, including countries in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Latin America, boosting technology transfer and providing engineering support for the entire service life of its plants, which is 50–70 years. That is, the company enters into long-term contracts, which help to establish strong ties not only between companies, but also between countries.
Nevertheless, Africa holds breathe for Russia’s nuclear power technology. The State Energy Corporation popularly know as Rosatom has bilateral agreements with nearly 20 African countries. The engineering, procurement and construction contract for the El Dabaa NPP was signed at the end of 2016. The project calls for building four 1,200 MW generating units with VVER-1200 reactors. But the agreement signed with Egypt dated back as November 2015, and Rosatom practically started to build the third unit at El Dabaa in May 2023. The construction of all four units at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), requires financing of up to US$30 billion (the Russian loan of US$25 billion covers 85% of the costs and that Egypt would finance the rest) and is expected to be completed by 2028-2029. Under the agreement, Egypt is to start payments on the loan, which is provided at 3% per annum, from October 2029.
A project on such a scale is unique for Egypt, so the partners have adopted a meticulous approach to establishing their mutual obligations. Monitoring and research show that other African countries wishing to adopt Russian nuclear technology grossly lack finance, while in the interim Rosatom offers support for the training of specialists in educational institutions in the Russian Federation.
Without much doubts, Russia has, long ago, expressed the desire to build the energy base in order to overcome energy shortages and deep-seated deficits across Africa. The partnership between Russia and African countries has gained additional momentum and is reaching a whole new level. With South Africa, the agreement for the large scale nuclear power plant (NPP) development was initially signed during the International Atomic Energy Agency General (IAEAG) Conference in Vienna between Russia’s Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation director general Sergey Kiriyenko and South Africa’s Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson.
The construction of the nuclear plants has had a chequered history. Due to opaque nature of the deal signed with Russia, South Africa has not achieved the expected success with its nuclear project under Jacob Zuma. For the last twenty years, South Africa has not been able to make investments in new power plants, which has resulted in a severe power crunch. Generally, power outrages, with frequent crippling blackouts, still presents a huge and real constraint to industrial growth in South Africa.
Knox Msebenzi, Managing Director of the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA), a body committed to promoting the highest standards in the development and application of nuclear technology, in discussing the impact of challenges on the country’s economy and a way out of the power generation difficulties, recommended that South Africa pursue an energy mix that includes coal, wind, hydro-power, nuclear and renewables going forward.
There are no silver bullets when it comes to energy sources generally across Africa. Criticisms of nuclear relating to costs and project managements (long delays with huge projects) are being addressed with Small Modular Reactors. Nuclear power will not come online today as it takes time to implement, but countries do not plan for now but for the future.
Perhaps, the most important way forward is for African countries to with Small Modular Reactors. Certainly, there are attributes of resorting to these SMRs. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) simply describes Small Modular Reactors as advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.
