By Semafor Africa
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
African countries could lean into nuclear energy to supply nearly a third of national electricity needs by the middle of this century, a new report argued.
Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa could each see nuclear energy account for up to 30% of their total electricity supply by 2050, while nuclear energy could represent 24% of Rwanda’s power generation mix by the same year, said the report by The Rockefeller Foundation, which surveyed eight emerging economies including Brazil, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
More investments in nuclear power could also see each country’s electricity generation costs fall by at least 13%, compared with only relying on renewable sources, the report said.
But several obstacles stand in the way of more nuclear energy in Africa, including the perceived risk associated with investing in infrastructure projects on the continent, as well as supply chain disruptions, an uncertain talent pipeline, and a widening shortfall of the uranium required to run nuclear power facilities.
