Nelson T. Kalangula
In 2023, green hydrogen campaigns took up much of the news, surpassing the oil discovery and all other sources of energy to ponder on.
Many questioned the urgency of Green Hydrogen, which overshadowed everything else.
Inasmuch as it is a good new find, we need to look at who it is set to benefit the most. There is great danger in placing Namibia in a position of being identified as a guinea pig of a country, and it is thus important for people to be educated and welcome a debate for the benefit of our motherland and its people.
There are several reasons why Namibia might not yet be investing in nuclear reactors, each with its complexities.
Technical considerations
Limited infrastructure
Building and maintaining nuclear power plants requires significant upfront investment and specialised expertise. Namibia might not currently have the necessary infrastructure or trained personnel to support such a project.
Waste disposal
Nuclear waste remains radioactive for thousands of years, requiring safe and secure long-term storage. Finding suitable disposal sites and developing appropriate waste management strategies can be challenging.
Safety concerns
Public anxiety surrounding nuclear accidents, even though statistically rare, can be a significant hurdle to overcome. Addressing these concerns and ensuring robust safety measures is crucial. Ukraine, City of Pripyat, Chernobyl plant disaster (26 April 1986) and Japan, Okuma, Fukushima Daiichi plant accident (11 March 2011) gave the world case studies, which contributed to advancements in the safety measures around the nuclear power plants and future scenarios.
Economic considerations
High initial costs
Nuclear power plants have high upfront construction costs, potentially exceeding the financial capabilities of some nations. Namibia might prioritise other infrastructure projects with more immediate economic benefits.
Energy security
Namibia already enjoys relative energy security through its reliance on imports from neighbouring countries. Nuclear power might not be seen as an urgent need because Namibia has become comfortable and failed to become independent from its neighbouring countries’ imports and other factors alike (especially from South Africa).
Alternative energy sources
Namibia has abundant renewable energy resources like solar and wind, which are becoming increasingly cost-competitive with nuclear power. Investing in renewables might be seen as a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly option. However, renewable energy is also expensive to set up and store, especially when producing for domestic use and export.
Political considerations
Public opinion
Public support for nuclear power is not always guaranteed, and governments might hesitate to invest in projects that face significant public opposition. Gauging and addressing public concerns are crucial. Yet again, our public fails to attend to this public engagement due to a lack of knowledge, hence why we need to educate more on the pros and cons.
Non-proliferation concerns
International safeguards and regulations must be strictly adhered to, requiring close cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and ensuring transparent nuclear activities. Nuclear technology can be misused for weapons development, raising concerns about proliferation risks. Namibia might need to adhere to strict international safeguards and regulations. Inasmuch as it is a factor, it should not stop a nation from producing energy for its people from the resources they are blessed with.
Geopolitical factors
International pressure or regional instability could influence Namibia’s decision on nuclear power development. If other countries are busy with such development, why should Namibia be excluded? If Namibia too can become a powerhouse in the nuclear energy sector, then they should hold such power, based on the resources at hand.
It is worth highlighting that we have Chinese companies mining uranium in Namibia, which we have in abundance, as Namibia is reported as the third-largest uranium producer globally, behind Canada and Kazakhstan.
It, therefore, makes more sense if an agreement with the Chinese mining companies/government is brought to task to include them in building a nuclear plant or two in the Erongo region for the benefit of all Namibians, or at least a few Small Modular Reactors (SMR) can be opted for to start with.
The nuclear reactors would serve to stop our dependence on South Africa and other neighbouring countries’ energy sources. This should form part of freeing our economy from the begging nature we have become accustomed to, and in the same vein also bring skills that we so lack at home.
Technically, China can build nuclear reactors in Namibia. China is a global leader in nuclear power technology, with extensive experience in designing, constructing and operating nuclear power plants, both domestically and internationally. The same can be said about our good friend Russia and many others we can align with on the development of a nuclear power plant.
Overall, Namibian uranium presents a fascinating case study in resource extraction, economic development and the complex considerations surrounding nuclear energy. Namibia’s potential for nuclear power plants is a complex and multifaceted topic, offering both exciting possibilities and significant challenges. Below is a dive into a few reasons for considering nuclear power.
Abundant uranium resources
As mentioned above, Namibia is a world leader in uranium production, boasting as the third-largest world producer. Utilising this domestic resource for energy-generation holds potential economic and strategic advantages.
Reliable, clean energy
Nuclear power plants can provide a continuous and stable source of electricity, contributing to energy security and independence. It is also a low-carbon energy source, emitting almost no greenhouse gases during operation, which aligns with Namibia’s climate change goals.
Potential economic benefits
Building and operating nuclear power plants can bring significant economic benefits, from job- creation and technology transfer to infrastructure development and revenue-generation.
Ultimately, the decision to pursue nuclear power in Namibia will depend on a careful weighing of various factors, including economic feasibility, public acceptance, technological advancements and responsible management of safety and waste disposal concerns.
Many of the factors which the government does not tick off much on other projects, public opinion is done mostly for formality. But in the end, the government does what they feel anyway, as the recent Samoa agreement, signed (in Brussels) on 18 December 2023, was a perfect example.
National Concern
How we quickly ran to place green hydrogen on top of the to-do list surpassing nuclear energy which could bring us more benefits, is puzzling. The very same Chinese who mine our uranium could have and can still easily build us a nuclear plant or two with all its fail-safe capabilities and skills transfer on nuclear handling.
Nuclear energy can introduce many Namibians to new careers in the nuclear space. As much as this is looked upon as possessing a threat to the non-proliferation treaty, perhaps we need to own up and stand up to close our borders on uranium exports from Namibia to those who do not want to give us the benefit of our resources.
If the fear of nuclear weapons persists while there is a watchdog, then the watchdog is biased, and makes it about time to stop all from using nuclear energy if others are blocked or discouraged from stepping in on it.
As Africans, we should stop following the Europeans and the West with their hypocrisy, especially their attitude and manipulation of Africa. African leaders are the ones who allow this kind of hypocrisy, and it is high time we become leaders for our people, and stop being followers of the Eurasia and the West.
We need to become trendsetters as well, without fearing the withdrawal of aids and grants that they play us with. Fellow Namibians, nuclear energy holds more benefits to the overall Namibians over the green hydrogen, which is clearly for export purposes.
Let us focus on what our people’s needs are for a change, and make them a priority over the foreigners with bags of grants and aid. The approach to self-sustenance will never be reached if we keep looking to please outsiders at the expense of our own. Let us clean up our own home from the inside before we clean the yard and the streets.
*Captain/Flight Lieutenant Nelson Tuhafeni Kalangula is a former Namibian Air Force helicopter pilot, an Aviation Safety and Aircraft Accident investigation certificate holder, author in the making, with a Bachelor of Commerce Honours and B-Tech Business Administration in academic qualifications.