Commenting on President Lungu’s inaugural speech where he announced that government will pursue nuclear technology, Mr Sinkamba said though nuclear energy is considered clean energy it is not on the list of renewable energy because it’s waste is harmful.
He wondered if the country could handle a nuclear disaster the scale of Chernobyl or Fukushima.
“In his Inaugural Speech delivered on 13 September, 2016, President Edagr Lungu announced that his administration will pursue nuclear technology as part of the diversified sustainable energy mix. Is nuclear energy really sustainable energy? Do we, as Zambia, really have the capacity to manage a nuclear disaster of disaster of Chernobyl or Fukushima scale?
“Frankly speaking, although nuclear energy is considered clean energy, its inclusion on the renewable energy list has been ruled out. Renewable energy is defined as an energy source/fuel type that can regenerate and can replenish itself indefinitely. The five renewable sources used most often are biomass, wind, solar, hydro and geothermal.
“The major reason why nuclear energy is excluded on the list of renewable energy is the harmful nuclear waste from nuclear power reactors. The nuclear waste is considered as a radioactive pollutant that goes against the notion of a renewable energy source,” he said.
He added “Secondly, nuclear energy cannot be put on the list of renewable for the simple fact that uranium deposit on earth is finite, unlike solar and wind. The amount of uranium deposit available could only supply nuclear energy for about 1000 years. To be counted as renewable, the energy source (fuel) should be sustainable for an indefinite period of time, according to the definition of renewable energy stated above.”
Mr Sinkamba further explained that nuclear energy has been a source of untold pain and suffering to some communities in some developed countries which have depended on the nuclear technology as their source of energy.
“The simple reason of nuclear disasters at Chernobyl in Russia and more recently in Fukushima in Japan, nuclear power in Europe is scaling down. Germany has since permanently shut down eight of its 17 reactors and pledged to close the rest by the end of 2022. By 2025, it is estimated that over a third of the EU’s currently operational reactors will be at the end of their lifecycle and in need of shutdown. As of 2016, countries such as Australia, Austria, Denmark, Greece, and Norway have no nuclear power stations and remain opposed to nuclear while Italy, Spain and Switzerland have joined Germany in phasing-out nuclear power. Is this the technology Zambia should seriously venture into?”
He also reiterated that his Party’s clear plan of sorting out the country’s power deficit.
“As we announced during the Presidential Debate, we the Greens planned to generate 30,000MW from biomass, wind, solar, hydro and geothermal of the electricity in 10 years. We planned our energy mix such that 60% of energy is generated from solar power. We planned to set-up Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) complexes – some of Africa’s largest – in the Gwembe Valley of Southern Province and valleys of Western and Tanganyika Provinces.
“In terms of financing, we planned marshal a mix of financing arrangements. Primarily, we proposed to apply $7 billion from the marijuana revenue coupled with multilateral financing through the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and other low-cost debt multilateral investors.”
Republican President Edgar Lungu indicated that the country is considering tapping into nuclear technology as way of alleviating the country’s continued energy demands.
Iwe fwaka yakukola……. advise kabili on how best it can be done!! Which 10 years are you talking about and from when because your party is still an idea?
Companies shutting down in the developed world are doing so on demand, NOT because they want to, but because their governments want them to. These companies are now looking for jobs. In their search, they have found a prospect in Africa. There in hails an employer… of foreigners, who are expected to create employment for his people.
Only the second reason is valid, they first has nothing to do with renewable energy. Please research properly Mr Sinkamba.
It is a non starter ba Sinkamba naimwe. Ni fwaka bushe?
Sinkamba is right, I don’t understand how President Lungu can even consider nuclear energy for our Country. Honestly, its just unbelievable how President Lungu can think like that ..very ambitious without considering other factors which even a lay person understands are way too much for us to deal with.
Why can’t ECL look at bio energy there are mountains of waste at markets and in townships
You can not even maintain a hydro dam how can you even mention nuclear energy ? Lungu and his speech writers were just looking for things to write about.
Lungu was drunk and delusional in his speech!!
The cost of commissioning one nuclear reactor is US$35 Billion so who is going to give such a loan to Zambia when Zambia can’t even repay the US$9 Billion it currently owes. It was a combination of Kachasu yamene akumwa Lungu and ARVs he forgot to take on the day which caused that memory lapse.
Ba lungu baliya mukutusebanya ku UN, am sure even other Countries just snubbed at him knowing clearly that we have no capacity to run a nuclear energy plant. Lungu mwilasabaila fyo. And speech writers what are you up to. you just wanted the embarrass the Presido tefyo …enh
Sinkamba my man. Sounds highly educated, and likes researching. His plans looks practical but rejected by the masses
He is right about handling! We can’t handle simple floods, how about a nuclear plant? Are we going to the builders stationed there through out?
ATI WE’LL HAVE NUCLEAR POWER. I SHUDDER@ THE THOUGHT!!
These P.F Clowns have failed to ensure simple institutions function in a normal way. Just go to Mandevu,& the sewage system is blocked, & no council in sight, only dopey Zambians’ in full P.F attire unprofessionally attempting to unblock the sewers.
Come rainy season, these Mandevu residents will be dancing Dununa reverse with Cholera & Death!
You then have jokers who hire expensive aircraft to dance Dununa in New York hallucinating that they can manage Nuclear reactors.
That will be the day Southern Africa gets wiped out with the P.F accident waiting to happen.
How can A President make such a blander, where are his advisers
Kachasu baba, that’s how.
Dreams,& ramblings of an ex- Kachasu imbiber!
But then, even without advisors, its just common sense that we can not run a nuclear plant at this stage, due to our capacity levels in many aspects including finances, so is Lungu thinking properly or what.
That’s what you get when you employ useless people to work for you, people who are detached from this world
Yes we can condemn but let us also think long term! To put up a nuclear power plant may take us long but we can start building capacity for that right now though priority as Sinkamba has stated should be on other sources of available energy which easier and cheaper to harness!Kenya has achieved quite a lot with Geothermal and under KK we had a power station in Lake Tanganyika under Geothermal. Why not look more at this and other sources as Sinkamba has hinted while developing so strategies at nuclear as a longer term investment the way Kenya has done?
Try doing some research while debating these things, especially for those of us who are not well versed with this subject: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economics_of_nuclear_power_plants
What about the CHAMBA idea, Dont you think it is just as bad as the Nuclear dream?
You are all like Sinkamba…………Theoretical!! The President merely pointed at possible alternatives for energy. Did you even read or hear is speech. ? NO! But you are busy commenting with your usual theories. You are all just talk talk…..and nothing to offer. Negativity will not take you anywhere. #11 Bwafyaa..well said.
Its not even a possible alternative, it was senseless on the part of Mr Lungu to talk about his ‘dreans’ rather than address issues affecting the people in the immediate or mid term. Is the UN a place to go and discuss your dreams? SHAME
Imwe naimwe Chagwa Lungu was just playing to the gallery during inauguration muchita monga si mu ziba tu “ma poly-TICKS”
Zambia doesnt need nuclear power. It has abundant hydro resources, abundant solar resources and even abundant wind resources. Lungu has been bribed by Zuma who wants to strike a nuclear deal with Russia. If Zuma gets a SADC buy in his costs will lower and he can convince his sceptical parliament to approve it