Anyone for yellowcake… Is Africa Ready for Nuclear Energy?

While everyone seems to be drooling for a piece of ‘yellowcake’ (energy rich uranium) a number of questions need to be answered before the pick-axes hit the ground in Malawi. Zimbabwe, Mozambique and other new uranium deposits dotted on Africa’s mineral rich landscape.

Are African countries ready for nuclear energy in the face of widespread power shortages?

Uranium is widely available in Africa, with Namibia and Niger leading as the continent’s biggest producers of energy rich uranium or ‘yellowcake’. Zimbawe, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and the DRC also have considerable uranium deposits, yet the countries are suffering severe power shortages.

Who is exploiting Africa’s uranium deposits and what are the local communities getting in return?

Niger has Africa’s largest uranium deposits, yet it ranks among the poorest countries in the world. The politics of uranium… nuclear bombs and environmental issues. What could stop African countries from pursuing nuclear energy?

South Africa already has a nuclear reactor, Koeberg, which is has an average annual production of 13,668 GWh and it has the largest turbine generators (2 × 900 MW) in the entire Southern Hemisphere. The SA govt has announced plans to build a second reactor ahead of the World Cup in 2010.

A German company last week announced plans to build a nuclear reactor in Namibia, which would make it the second African country to generate and utilize nuclear energy.

In Niger, the uranium boom led to economic prosperity and decline in demand and price of Uranium led to severe economic hardships.

What is the likely impact of uranium on African economies, and how long is the uranium rennaisance going to last?

What measures should be put in place to avoid what happened in Niger if Uranium is to be pursued as an investment and viable source of energy and in Africa?