The Zambian government has disclosed plans to venture into nuclear energy technology in a bid to branch out the country’s energy sector and end power deficits.
Minister of Energy David Mabumba said Zambia has already signed an MoU with China and Russia in order to assess which of the two countries could be a potential technology services provider for the Southern African country.
The Minister told local publication News Diggers that Zambia would have to appease international nuclear energy regulators and satisfy them of the country’s intentions.
Zambia currently has a power deficit of over 400 megawatts that results in long hours of load shedding almost on a daily basis.
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The country is currently investing in renewable energy (solar) in addition to the hydropower in a bid to overcome the power shortage – but the intention is to bring nuclear energy into themix.
According to the Minister, Zambia could have avoided the power deficit had it invested in alternative sources of energy, including nuclear.
Mabumba said the country has not yet approached the International Atomic Energy Agency over the matter because there are several steps that still need to be taken including establishing a nuclear policy.
Zambia’s National Radiation Authority is already working with officials from Mabumba’s ministry to come up with a nuclear policy framework.
Mabumba identified South Africa as one of the countries that Zambian officials have already visited to learn more about nuclear technology.
The press also sought comment from the National Radiation Authority on how far the organization has progressed with the nuclear energy policy and what other steps need to be taken for the country to have nuclear technology, but the authority has not responded to the media inquiry.
The Zambian Government in December last year signed agreements with Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom to lay the groundwork to build nuclear power plants in Zambia which it hopes will bring to an end load shedding.
Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation is a state corporation in Russia, established in 2007 and is the regulatory body of the Russian nuclear complex
