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Interview with Lassino Zerbo of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization on Energy in Africa.
In Quotes: Lassina Zerbo on nuclear energy and AfricaSubtitle:
In an interview for the World Nuclear News podcast Lassina Zerbo, the former head of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization and current chairman of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board, set out his views on the prospects for nuclear energy in Africa in the years ahead.
Some excerpts:
The importance of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization
I would say, as an organisation, it's one of the pillar of the Non Proliferation Treaty. We can talk about peaceful use of nuclear energy but it has always been that frontier, between the peaceful use ... and the work is important because it does stop countries from conducting nuclear test explosions in the search to develop nuclear weapons and as such, it does keep the framework of the peaceful use of nuclear energy together with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other organisations dealing with the peaceful uses of nuclear energy...
...What difference will small modular reactors make?
We shouldn't forget that the issue of small modular reactors started very long ago, but political issues sometimes, or often, put some technological innovation to bed because people have difficulty accepting or understanding that nuclear energy should be seen as a green energy, or that nuclear energy in terms of how things have evolved is a lot less risky. Those are the issues that have been an impediment to the development of the peaceful use of nuclear energy and small modular reactors, with the safety and security aspect that they are bringing today, will be a game changer...
...What is the current position in Rwanda?
Under the leadership of President Kagame, there is the vision for a small country like Rwanda to make sure energy is accessible and affordable to all, and I'm working on that, not just for energy but also nuclear science and technology centre - capacity building and capacity development is key, with safety and security integrated into what we do on a daily basis and also a regional framework. I see Rwanda as a pilot country in many respects, we can see how we can cooperate with others and spread that across the continent. I am on the Nano board and we are working on a feasibility study - there are 100 acres given by the government for nuclear science and technology. In Rwanda we have engaged in training people, to build an education and training centre and make it accessible to students and people regionally and our aim is to have a ministerial round table discussion where we bring those in Africa who are interested in this field to talk, to work together to combine efforts in order to go as quickly and as best as possible to achieve the peaceful use of nuclear energy in the continent...
...Africa is a major producer of uranium, what further potential do you see?
Many people are asking themselves why a country like Niger would be a big producer of uranium and yet doesn't even have a nuclear power plant ... it is becoming a topic of discussion among the youth and, you know, Africa is a young continent. This is a topic where they want to be involved, they want first to understand, and then they want to see why our leaders haven't thought of it long ago ... to make the use of our resources, especially uranium, to focus on how Africa can use it for its own benefit while thinking about cooperating with the rest of the world in terms of supplying uranium ... or bringing the technology to be local and using what we have to produce electricity for the benefit of our population.
How to explain the relative lack of nuclear power plants in Africa, historically?
I would say it was because of international attitudes to the proliferation risk, but things have changed and we have standards today, we have the International Atomic Energy Agency and many other institutions working on standards and in the institutional framework. Security and safety have evolved and technology has changed and the mentality will have to change. The international community will have to change accordingly and then let the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and the development of nuclear power plants and the small modular reactor be more democratic, if I can use this word, than it has been in the past. My dream is to see energy everywhere and energy for all in Africa in the developing world...
I would say, as an organisation, it's one of the pillar of the Non Proliferation Treaty. We can talk about peaceful use of nuclear energy but it has always been that frontier, between the peaceful use ... and the work is important because it does stop countries from conducting nuclear test explosions in the search to develop nuclear weapons and as such, it does keep the framework of the peaceful use of nuclear energy together with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other organisations dealing with the peaceful uses of nuclear energy...
...What difference will small modular reactors make?
We shouldn't forget that the issue of small modular reactors started very long ago, but political issues sometimes, or often, put some technological innovation to bed because people have difficulty accepting or understanding that nuclear energy should be seen as a green energy, or that nuclear energy in terms of how things have evolved is a lot less risky. Those are the issues that have been an impediment to the development of the peaceful use of nuclear energy and small modular reactors, with the safety and security aspect that they are bringing today, will be a game changer...
...What is the current position in Rwanda?
Under the leadership of President Kagame, there is the vision for a small country like Rwanda to make sure energy is accessible and affordable to all, and I'm working on that, not just for energy but also nuclear science and technology centre - capacity building and capacity development is key, with safety and security integrated into what we do on a daily basis and also a regional framework. I see Rwanda as a pilot country in many respects, we can see how we can cooperate with others and spread that across the continent. I am on the Nano board and we are working on a feasibility study - there are 100 acres given by the government for nuclear science and technology. In Rwanda we have engaged in training people, to build an education and training centre and make it accessible to students and people regionally and our aim is to have a ministerial round table discussion where we bring those in Africa who are interested in this field to talk, to work together to combine efforts in order to go as quickly and as best as possible to achieve the peaceful use of nuclear energy in the continent...
...Africa is a major producer of uranium, what further potential do you see?
Many people are asking themselves why a country like Niger would be a big producer of uranium and yet doesn't even have a nuclear power plant ... it is becoming a topic of discussion among the youth and, you know, Africa is a young continent. This is a topic where they want to be involved, they want first to understand, and then they want to see why our leaders haven't thought of it long ago ... to make the use of our resources, especially uranium, to focus on how Africa can use it for its own benefit while thinking about cooperating with the rest of the world in terms of supplying uranium ... or bringing the technology to be local and using what we have to produce electricity for the benefit of our population.
How to explain the relative lack of nuclear power plants in Africa, historically?
I would say it was because of international attitudes to the proliferation risk, but things have changed and we have standards today, we have the International Atomic Energy Agency and many other institutions working on standards and in the institutional framework. Security and safety have evolved and technology has changed and the mentality will have to change. The international community will have to change accordingly and then let the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and the development of nuclear power plants and the small modular reactor be more democratic, if I can use this word, than it has been in the past. My dream is to see energy everywhere and energy for all in Africa in the developing world...
I have high hopes for Africa to climb out of poverty differently than India and China did, by burning coal, but rather by embracing nuclear energy. People like Dr. Zerbo are the key.
