A nuclear future for Africa?

2025-05-18

Nuclear power is back in favour, as more countries across the world consider ways to cut carbon emissions to combat climate change. Countries like China and Japan are planning to build more reactors, but should nations in Africa invest in renewable sources of generating electricity, like solar panels, wind turbines and geo-thermal power, instead of nuclear? We examine how energy generated from nuclear fission has huge advance costs which would mean African governments finding loans from willing...

Nuclear power is back in favour, as more countries across the world consider ways to cut carbon emissions to combat climate change.

Countries like China and Japan are planning to build more reactors, but should nations in Africa invest in renewable sources of generating electricity, like solar panels, wind turbines and geo-thermal power, instead of nuclear?

We examine how energy generated from nuclear fission has huge advance costs which would mean African governments finding loans from willing investors, but that might cede more economic influence to China or Russia.

We also hear how Amazon, Google and Microsoft are investing in nuclear power, using smaller modular reactors to run data storage centres in the United States, as demand for electricity is expected to surge when artificial intelligence is running at full capacity. Could the developing technology of SMRs prove useful in Africa?

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Presented and produced by Russell Padmore

(Picture: The Koeberg nuclear power station, Cape Town, South Africa. Credit: Getty Images)

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