Experts have called for public education to dispel fears and address misconceptions regarding nuclear energy.
In a forum organised by RePlanet Africa, a grassroots environmental movement dedicated to tackling climate change, food security and poverty through science, the experts called for a multi-faceted approach to public education.
Speaking in a webinar titled “Demystifying nuclear energy, perceptions, acceptance and its future,” the experts who included nuclear engineers, physicists and hydrologists said nuclear energy should be incorporated in school curricula and education in public forums and campaigns.
Cynthia Wacuka, a Kenyan hydrologist at the Regional Centre on Groundwater Resources, said public education is key to understanding how nuclear energy works and its role in decarbonising economies and cooling the earth.
“It is about time we introduced nuclear programmes in our curriculum from primary to institutions of higher learning to help the African public appreciate nuclear energy and what it can do to cool the planet and address climate change,” she said.
Wacuka said the public also needs to be informed about the latest advancements in safety measures and waste management.
“A well-informed public can speed up acceptance and hence faster adoption of nuclear power as a clean and reliable energy source,” she said.
The call for public education comes at a time several African countries among them Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda are building their own nuclear plants or actively seeking partnerships with the West to set up Small Modular Reactors.
In September, Environment Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya rooted for the adoption of nuclear energy to address climate change in Africa.
Speaking during the award of winners of an essay writing competition on nuclear energy in Africa, Tuya said climate change is an existential threat that demands urgent action.
“As a people and a generation, nuclear energy is perhaps Africa’s last best hope to addressing climate change and powering sustainable economic development,” she stated.
The CS noted that in the current circumstances, nuclear energy is emerging as a compelling solution to power needs as it offers a clean, reliable, and low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels.
Nuclear power has long been a topic of polarising discussion, with proponents highlighting its low carbon emissions and capacity to generate large amounts of energy, while critics express concerns over safety and waste disposal.
However, Mercy Nandutu, a nuclear engineer and lecturer at Ontario Technical University in Canada, told participants in the webinar that recent advancements in technology and robust safety measures have significantly improved the safety of nuclear energy and the disposal and storage of waste.
She dispelled fears that nuclear power plants can explode like atomic bombs, saying the enrichment level of uranium in nuclear plants is too low.
She added that nuclear reactors are designed with multiple layers to immediately shut down and terminate the nuclear chain reaction in case of any incidences.
Similarly, Nandutu addressed fears that nuclear power plants release dangerous levels of radiation into the environment.
“While nuclear plants emit some radiation, it's negligible and typically well within safe limits,” she said, adding that evidence of healthy employees who have been working in nuclear facilities for years attests to the safety of nuclear plants.
On cost, she acknowledged that while the initial capital outlay covering both capacity building and infrastructure for nuclear plants is hefty, it is cheaper in the long run.
“The operating costs of nuclear energy are relatively low, especially considering its long lifespan [of up to 40 years] and the amount of energy it produces,” Nandutu said.
Addressing queries on the suitability of nuclear energy on the environment, Wacuka clarified that nuclear plants produce no carbon emissions, making it a low-carbon energy source.
“Because nuclear plants do not burn fossil fuels to generate electricity, they do not emit greenhouse gases - which is a key factor in climate change mitigation,” she said.
While the nuclear enthusiasts were in agreement that Africa is ready to adopt nuclear energy, they called on African governments, academia and industry leaders to collaborate and invest in capacity building.
