Nuclear Research Reactors
By Mekonnen Teshome
In one of my recent stories contributed to Down To Earth, https://www.downtoearth.org.in/ the piece was able to uncover that “Millions in rural areas are not part of Ethiopia’s energy transition drive” and most people in the country are living in “Energy Poverty”.
As to the report, despite the huge gap between electricity demand and access, Ethiopia is working towards ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services by 2030 as part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
As a Science writer, I have been following and studying all the energy development history of Ethiopia – from its 1932 historic first 6 megawatt dam build on the Akaki River to the 1953 Tis Abay dam of 11.5 megawatt build on the Nile River and from the 42.3 megawatt 1960 Koka Dam on Awash River to Awash II and III to Fincha, Melka Wakena and Sor Dam of 5 MW as well as all the Post Derg revolution endeavors and now I have just realized that the country is entering into a new frontier of nuclear energy development .
Ethiopia’s Fresh Efforts for Nuclear Power
In this regard, the country’s Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MoIT) announced that Ethiopia needs to exploit all its energy alternatives including nuclear power and among the multi-faceted benefits of nuclear power, Ethiopia is going for Nuclear Research Reactor and Nuclear Power Plant Technology (NPP).
Ministry’s Technology Development and Transfer Executive, and Nuclear Science and Technology Task Force Coordinator, Dr. Teklamariam Tesema, announced this while speaking at a workshop saying that nuclear technology could be a profound alternative for power supply with no interruption of Base Load of over 90%.
Organizing the workshop, the Ministry facilitates discussion for various stakeholders on Ethiopia’s nuclear program where the nature, importance and future prospects of the country’s nuclear technology development as well as the sector’s five-year strategic plan are reviewed.
Ministry’s Innovation and Research Sector State Minister Dr. Baisa Bedada said that the peaceful use of nuclear as one of the nation’s development programs is paid attention to and was approved by the House of People’s Representatives and deals are reached with the Russian government for for collaboration.
The State Minister said that the country is now undertaking preliminary activities to implement nuclear science technology for peaceful purposes by adapting and rapidly advancing its potential resources of technological development.
“We have designed and implemented a comprehensive strategy to establish a strong nuclear technology sector in Ethiopia to achieve prosperity and benefit of our citizens.” and called on for the active participation and cooperation of stakeholders to achieve success in this regard.
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Ethiopian Technology Authority, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Water and Energy are also expected to play their own shares in this effort.
Why Nuclear Power for Ethiopia?
As I indicated earlier, Ethiopia is has still to go far to fill its 52 % unmet energy demand especially in the rural areas. The government of Ethiopia is planning to achieve universal 100% access to electricity by 2030 as part of the achieve Goal 7 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In its 25 years power system master plan (2022-2037), the county also has planned to generate up to 37,000 MW of power by the year 2037.
Ethiopia is striving to realize its vision through major scientific and technological projects in hydropower, solar, wind, and geothermal projects in the pipeline and its government envisages undertaking nuclear program for the peaceful applications of science and technology to realize its targets in its energy mix and sustainable development goals.
Uranium Mining Potential In Ethiopia
From childhood until this moment in time, we have always heard that “Ethiopia is a heaven for countless minerals including Uranium and this has still need to be verified sometime in the future. In connection with this longstanding public narrative, various studies confirm the availability of the Uranium mineral in the country and this is a major prospective for the already started nuclear energy development program.
On May 15 1954, before the creation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), New York Times Newspaper reported that the then Emperor Haile Selassie announced that some of the best uranium ore in the world had been discovered in Ethiopia.
Also in the unpublished report of a recent “Geological Survey of Ethiopia, Ministry of mines and energy, 2021” conducted from 2019 to 2020 related to the prospect for mineral resources across Ethiopia, it was indicated that uranium among several other minerals in six weredas/districts of the eastern region, including Harar, Kersa, Babile, Girawa, Midaga, and Faddis. This is believed to be one of the greatest prospects for nuclear energy development in Ethiopia.
Recent Ethio-Russia Nuclear Accord
In the sideline of the recent July 27-28, 2023 Second Russia-Africa Summit held in St. Petersburg city, Ethiopia and Russia signed a roadmap for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The document was signed by the head of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, and the Minister of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia, Molla Bellete.
In connection with the roadmap signing Russia’s news agency, TASS, said.”The roadmap defines the specific steps the parties will take in 2023-2025 to explore the possibilities of building nuclear power plant of large or small power capacity, as well as a Center for Nuclear Science and Technology in Ethiopia. The two parties plan to join forces to develop Ethiopia’s national nuclear infrastructure, organize technical tours and seminars, and hold meetings of specialized working groups.”
Earliear in 2019, a framework agreement was also signed by Rosatom and Ethiopia’s Ministry of Innovation and Technology during the Russia-Africa Economic Forum in Sochi.
The two countries then had agreed to cooperate on a programme intended to give Addis Ababa the ability to begin work on a nuclear power station within 10 years.
Nuclear safety
Finally, it is good to remind all states that are going to erect nuclear reactor plants that nuclear technology is attached to radiation emergency risks of environmental contaminations and injury to individuals as well as affecting the wellbeing of communities.
Otherwise, Nuclear and isotopic techniques can offer the ability to unravel interactions between water, soil, and applied and existing nutrient pools, providing great insight into the productivity and effectiveness of various irrigation systems and also for treatment of various diseases and research undertakings.
Ethiopia will do its best to realize its energy mix using nuclear energy development with all international standard safety measures. Moreover, it will continue to develop its renewable energy sources such as hydro solar wind and geothermal energy to ensure its sustainable economic transformation through industrialization, urbanization as well as through the provision of access to modern and clean energy to all sectors in society.
To this end, robust diplomatic cooperation and international relations as well as regional and local cooperation is vital to realize its ambitious nuclear science and technology for nuclear science and technology is a multidisciplinary and highly specialized area of science that requires reactions of
atomic nuclei and is a complex the proccess of fusion reactions, it needs integrated and collaborative efforts of multi-sectoral bodies. . Its higher educational institutions will surely assist is the nuclear industry and enhance its multi-faceted peaceful advantages.