Lawmaker voices fears about safety of nuclear plants in densely populated Rwanda, but top official says nuclear is inevitable.
KIGALI, Rwanda
Plans by the tiny landlocked African country of Rwanda to build nuclear reactors with Russian help are facing stiff opposition in the country.
Frank Habineza, a lawmaker and member of the Democratic Green Party, has warned that nuclear energy could do the country more harm than good.
“Living near a nuclear energy plant is like living near a nuclear bomb which can explode and cause destruction of life and property to the nation and its neighboring countries,” he said.
He said in light of Rwanda’s high population density, there is no place to set up the plant without compromising the safety of Rwandans and their neighbors.
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Since then Rwanda has trained professionals in legal and regulatory frameworks as well as sending a team of 50 researchers to Russia for training in various aspects of nuclear science.
Last year in the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi, Rwanda also signed an agreement to establish the Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology to host reactors, lab complexes, and centers for nuclear medicine. The deal was ratified by Rwanda’s parliament in June.
Claver Gatete, the infrastructure minister, said Rwanda cannot be left behind as many countries have adopted nuclear technology to address their energy needs and for use in medicine.
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But many countries such as Kenya, Sudan, Ghana, Egypt, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda, Algeria, Tunisia, and Zambia are engaged in talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to build plants for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Backed by Russia, some sub-Saharan African states have also signed agreements to use nuclear power, according to the World Nuclear Association.
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More than 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity, according to the World Bank.
Experts say, however, it takes 10 years and billions of dollars to commission a nuclear power station.
They argue that off-grid renewable projects are safer than nuclear energy, as they do not involve environmentally hazardous radioactive waste, and no huge financial costs are incurred in connection to the national grid.
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Lawmaker Habineza said nuclear energy is an old technology with proven risks to the environment. He said many developed nations such as Germany and Sweden are de-nuclearizing due to the dangers involved.
“Nuclear waste and water pollution from a nuclear plant would cause serious environmental challenge to the country, its neighbors, and the world at large,” he argued.
“More than that, raw materials needed to operate the nuclear center, such as uranium, emit harmful levels of radiation, which pose a great risk to the population and the environment.”
Read more at Rwanda: Opposition grows to Russian-backed nuclear plants
