Saturday, October 5, 2024

Zambia to develop a nuclear power plant to generate electricity-Luo

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Gender Minsister Nkandu Luo during the UNZA Celebrations
Nkandu Luo

Minister of Higher Education Nkandu Luo has said that Zambia is expected to develop a nuclear power plant with a capacity to generate about 2,000 megawatts of electricity.

Professor Luo said that the power plant will be critical to ensuring sufficient supply of electricity to power the economy for over five decades.

She said the government working with the Russian government and the International Atomic Energy Agency are partnering in the nuclear science programme.

The minister explained that the decision by government to come up with a nuclear power plant follows wide consultations and research regarding the benefits and the safety and security of such energy.

She has also stated that the programme will be undertaken in two main phases with phase one being the construction stage for a centre of nuclear Science and Technology to facilitate the development of local Regulatory and management capacity while the second will see the operationalisation of the nuclear power plant.

The minister was speaking when she presented a ministerial statement to parliament.

Professor Luo said the nuclear science and technology project is a clear demonstration of the foresight that PF government has to secure economic development.

She has further said there is need for sensitization to change the negative perception that Zambians have about nuclear energy.

84 COMMENTS

    • @Sharon, Yours is dividing the g-string. HH earned HIS money intelligently, and am jealous.
      I don’t like HH, but like his business deals, especially those cattle moother-fukker has.

    • Do these guys understand the dangers of nuclear… please if you insist, can you construct it on state house ground?

      Opposition are sleeping they haven’t researched on Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan and what catastrophes ensue when things go wrong. A wide area of a population can get affected with RADIATION.

      57 accidents have occurred since chernobyl disaster. 56 out of 99 of all nuclear related accidents have occurred in the US. That is in America! Now think about Zambia who will be relying on foreign help!!!

      All opposition is lamenting is Lungu’s NRC… pathetic party. Here use this an an opportunity you cows!

    • Each time UPND misplaces an opportunity of an argument to take the ruling party to tusk reveals how hopeless the head is… as they say the fish rotes from the head.

    • This is for consumption of the kaponya pf rats…..senseble people know this is being Zambia.

      This is like saying zambia to develop a space exploration programme…..

    • Nkandu Luo does not represent anyone because the courts said so. She has now become so confused that she does not know the difference between the Ministry of higher Education she once was a Minister of and the Ministry of Energy. Nkandu accept this you are not a Minister or MP. You’re history. GO AWAY from the ZAMBIAN political landscape.

    • @Sharon this is now a Chainamic tendance, what does HH got to do with story. Even if you are paid to mention HH at any turn and twist try to be objective. I can imagine the stress and pain you go through let’s hope you are not overwhelmed by envy compounded with jealousy.

    • We should embark on projects that suit us and can fit our pocket, not just because everyone is doing it. The average cost of a nuclear facility is $30 billion not to mention the perpetual damage to the environment(Waste disposal problem). Ethiopia is constructing a hydro facility for only $6.0 billion, with capacity to carter for itself and export as well. Zambia has the largest water resources in southern Africa (40%), and this government is dreaming nuclear, nuclear, bla bla bla!! This is very annoying.

    • @Nubian Princes. one needs electricity to power healthcare and higher education institutions no.? i personally think first you get electricity and water, two basic human needs sorted mate , then everything will fall into place, you build 1000 Bed Hospital and a University to cater for 10000 students, you aint going no where with no electricity.

  1. Crazy! Zambia has got abundant solar sources, hydro sources even wind and yet opts for nuclear power? Who will pay for this dangerous source? Our children and their children? The Russians? How come South Africa has refused to entertain further nuclear power yet they have better finances? Does Zambia just want to be a dump for nuclear waste?

    • Meanwhile taking the lead from other countries, South Africa committed to an energy generation infrastructure development plan for 2010 to 2030, known as the Integrated Resource Plan.
      Under the plan the country aims to achieve 9600 MW of solar power capacity by 2030…this is renewable energy will are talking about; this illegal Minister is yapping about energy that the likes of Japan and Britain are cutting back on.

    • Isn’t she a minister of Higher education or there has been another reshuffle? Why is Luo talking about Nuclear energy? Zambia does not have the capacity to run a nuclear power plant on it’s own right now. What the Russians are interested in right now is business. All construction equipment, personnel, spares and servicing will be done by the Russians. Mind you Russian built nuclear plants are not safe. Most nuclear accidents that have happened are of Russian construction although some of them are not reported. It’s either they want to be carrying out experiments here or someone in Zambia will be making some money with the Russians.

    • @Vincent there are also plenty of bribes in the offing. Just ask why Zuma wanted this yet the ANC didnt want. Someone in Zambia is being offered millions for this project to be approved. I hope the opposition are sharp enough to halt the whole venture

  2. Notice: Notice is hereby given that the animalia kingdom from the department of hallucinations, hanegativity and hadelusions based on unsubstiated hatheorems will soon be in the house.

    • sharon/victor,
      instead of using your sh!thole to think, concentrate on raising the money for your 5ex change operation.

  3. Is that Nuclear dissaster Plant going to be for education purposes?
    Oppositions have not said a shhit on this, maybe it’s in UPND government plans too.
    There is so much confusion on this.

  4. Does she still have a seat in Munali?
    what authority is she using to issue these pronouncements?
    Batoka hydro projects haven’t even taken off yet its cheaper. and nuclear takes more than 10 years just to study preliminaries

    • as the high ranking member of Plunderers Federation she (or is it he?) has constitutional duty to crap thru the mouth and think thru the large sh!thole

  5. Look at du.ll sexual stalker dancing at pipe dreams……
    Victor come Sharon , you think nuclear energy is generated from sewage ?

    Zambia can not even recycle waiste , or even run a single line railway , ati we will generate nuclear power…..

    Mrs Luo , you are supposed to be educated to know that nuclear energy is beyond Zambia in terms of cost , maintenence and operation or you are just a lier like lungu ??

  6. No wonder the education system in zambia is a mess…..with this minister who thinks Zambia get start generating nuclear power !!!

    Just building solar plants are proving to be a challenge with the economics now this thick professor thinks a nuclear power plant costing more than $10 billion will make economic sense ???

  7. While I am a fun of progress, I detest nuclear technology. Zambia and Kenya should be very careful with this nuclear business. There are safer options for power generation: wind, solar, even more hydro. Technology should always be in tune with a country’s level of development. #no nuclear.

  8. It appears these guys have already pocketed some bribes and are now under pressure to go ahead with this bad decision of nuclear deal!! Why can’t they stop and consider much more cleaner,safer and cheaper energy sources??

  9. Next she will say it will be operational by Christmas with 2000mw and zero load shedding, just wait…

  10. “She has further said there is need for sensitization to change the negative perception that Zambians have about nuclear energy”.
    What sensitisation.l naimwe ba Professor? We are well exposed and we know that nuclear power plant accidents have happened in the developed world. Such a power station in Zambia can only be a disaster waiting to happen.
    Apa pena ba PF tekanyeni, whom have you consulted?

  11. At least go for French technology and not Russian one. It should also be far from people and bigger ecosystems. Also can Zambia manage power nuclear plant when they fail to maintain simple drainage system. It will be a ticking bomb once on operation.

  12. Look here Professor, the ignoranf person herd is yourself, not me or the other guy. Why? Because YOU have only looked at the benefits of a nuclear power station and not the many negatives which far outweigh the benefitss, while WE have looked at both aspects and dusasters abound. You can ask the Americans or the British for free advice. Just look at us, a recent example, we struggled to contain a cholera epidemic, what more a nuclear DISASTER? I am very disappointed with this woman, no different from an arrogant upndeez cadre.

  13. Nuclear power requires massive amounts of water to cool the reactors. What will happen when there is drought? Already our hydro power is affected by drought. We are just a mess!

    • I FEEL SORRY FOR DEAR ZAMBIA, HOW COME OUR PARENTS WITH LIMITED EDUCATION WERE SO PATRIOTIC AND STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS? BLESSED WITH HYDROELECTRICITY AND SOLAR ENERGY WHICH WE ARE YET HARNESS. WE ARE NOW TALKING ABOUT NUCLEAR, BANE NASHANIKO BUPOPWE THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH.

  14. I can not wait for the courts to nullify the results for this Professor Luo …one educated fooooool she is!!

  15. You know sometimes it’s hard to understand decisions that politicians make. But this one is mind boggling.
    1. We don’t have the technical know How to run it
    2. We don’t have the money
    3. We don’t need it. We have enough clean energy we can use. hydro, solar, geothermal even, which we can develop and produce a excess for export
    4. More developed countries are scaling down on nuclear in favour of cleaner and less dangerous energy sources
    5. Lessons from Fukushima, and Chernobyl
    6. It’s unpopular with the locals

    So why? Do people think through decisions in govt? This is very worrying. it’s seems like people just wake up and make haphazard decisions. So sad for our country.

    • You will outsource everything from Russia and the meter readings will be in Russian…imagine how do you take on such a thing when we do not even a specialist at UNZA. Russia will be flying in Waste at will and we wont even know it!!
      Educated Zambians are our downfall!!

    • The truth is they have collected commissions and are now under pressure to deliver … whatever it takes!! That’s why they pick this “educated professor” to convince the uneducated population, who apparently bin their thinking adore h

  16. If that will help this woman to stop the nuclear talk nonsense, please nullify her election like yesterday!
    Please save us from this woman!

  17. Prof Luo sounds like the beginning of a very misplaced joke. Here is why:-

    1.) Prof Luo is a microbiologist and an immunologist. Period. (i.e. this includes bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, prions, protozoa and algae, collectively known as ‘microbes’, and immune systems in all organisms.

    2.) Nuclear physics is a very specialised field in energy extraction from NON-ORGANISMS at atomic level. Nuclear power plants use nuclear fission ( splitting of atoms) to produce electricity.

    3.) Prof Luo is not the Minister of Energy as she is postulating. She is quoted as ‘Minister of Higher Education’. Well, there are a hundred and one ways a Minister of Higher Education can weigh in on a such specialised subject without appearing to take ownership, especially when its NOT her area of…

    • ….cont’d….when its NOT her area of competence.

      So, she is evidently out of her depth on this subject. With that background, does she seriously think she is the right person to determine whether or not Zambians need to be sensitised and assured not to worry about radioactive waste, and accidental chain reactions that could spiral out of control? Seriously? This is a hoke. A bad joke.

  18. I second the motion, Namwalans can benefit a lot from this project! They will stop killing their kin! Shaka the Zulu spirit cum HH.

  19. This is a very long overdue project.
    We have the potential and capacity to build and run a viable Nuclear Power Plant in Zambia, for sustainable development.

    • Col… No need for hot air talk here. This subject is scientific. Leave it to people who can provide the real pros and cons at play here – not this hear! hear! hear! attitude. This is a very serious Armageddon issue being handled in a very suspicious way. Why is Luo the Minister of Education with questionable office tenure taking ownership of this project very far from her jurisdiction and competence?!?!?? Nuclear projects have had serious accidents and consequences in developed countries with renowned (by name) advanced nuclear scientists. The in thing now is clean safe energy source like wind, solar, etc which we have in Zambia in abundance and can manage without any danger. Whose land are you going to put it anyway?? Maybe on the Copperbelt – I’ve never understood what they use for…

  20. As long as we continue thinking the backward way we have been thinking nothing will change dramatically.
    We need that nuclear plant.
    We need to grow.
    The same pipo saying we can’t run an airline are the same pipo telling us we can’t run a nuclear power plan.
    The UPND are so backward that they can’t figure out how to win an election.So how they hell can they understand nuclear energy.
    Stop hallucinations.Malaria and HIV will kill more pipo in Zambia than the nuclear plant.

  21. “The minister explained that the decision by government to come up with a nuclear power plant follows wide consultations and research regarding the benefits and the safety and security of such energy”

    Does anyone remember these ‘wide consultations’?

  22. We cannot sort out the basics and we have began discussing nuclear! The PF uses such suggested ventures to camouflage its primitiveness with claims of sophistry, as well as divert the nation from more pressing quality of life issues. As someone pointed out, the country has other natural resources it can harness abundantly. I suspect (whether for research or otherwise) this is not meant to be for the benefit of Zambians. It has the whole-marks of some clandestine objectives that will realise the ambitions of the sponsor. My gist is, it’s not a priority even if it were not suspect.
    Serious matters should be debated seriously. There are too many decisions that seem to be made with impunity by this regime – A regime you cannot trust with a solar panel, let alone a nuclear facility.

    • These people have no foreign policy, no morals, no principles…they would sell anything without any thought for a loan.

    • Most likely the PF rats want to extort financial help and direction for alternative power generation by threatening to try nuclear power generation ……everyone knows Zambia can not even take care of garbage hence the cholera.

  23. Wind farms would make much sense, We could even aspire to start making or assembling some component equipment for the wind farms.

  24. in our village and province we reject this Chernobyl disaster type coming to Zambia; i still have friends whose children’s immune system is still affected by chernobyl; let Luo and Lungu take it to their villages; but which one is Lungu’s village?

  25. Coal Ash Is More Radioactive Than Nuclear Waste
    By burning away all the pesky carbon and other impurities, coal power plants produce heaps of radiation
    In fact, the fly ash emitted by a power plant—a by-product from burning coal for electricity carries into the surrounding environment 100 times more radiation than a nuclear power plant producing the same amount of energy. ******

  26. THE RUSSIANS HAVE FAILED IN SOUTH AFRICA ( THE GUPTAS ARE BEING SORT AFTER BY POLICE AND ZUMA HAS BEEN FIRED) EASY TARGET ZAMBIA – LETS PAY BRIBES TO THE CORRUPT PF GOVERNMENT FOR NUCLEAR POWER DEALS.
    ZAMBIA DOES NOT NEED NUCLEAR POWER- THIS IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. WE HAVE SUN AND WE HAVE WIND !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  27. THY THINK FIRE TENDER CAN HANDLE NUCLEAR PLANT,THIS GOVERNMENT ACCEPT ANYTHING AS LONG AS THY RECEIVE A KICK BACK,I WASTED MY VOTE.

  28. THY THINK FIRE TENDER CAN HANDLE NUCLEAR PLANT,THIS GOVERNMENT ACCEPT ANYTHING AS LONG AS THY RECEIVE A KICK BACK,I WASTED MY VOTE.

  29. We need to start thinking.Why can’t we have nuclear power.who told you that blacks or Zambian can’t do it.Let us just continue learning.why limiting ourselves as if God gave knowledge only to white people.Asians were also like us but they have chnaged and technology is coming from Asia.Africans can do it as long as we remove this inferiority complex in us.We go to the same schools and beat white people.let’s go nuclear

  30. This another project the PF government have not properly though. This country have more than ample water bodies to dam and generate a cheaper and risk free hydro electricity. Dammed water would also be used for irrigation and tourism activities. The risks associated with nuclear power generation are horrendous during the operating years and decommissioning time. It is not something we should be considering at this stage. Another wasteful and ill – conceived programme by a thieving administration which should be shot down by the Zambian people. It is not a priority and should not be an alternative when we should be promoting cleaner and safer hydro power.

  31. Why go nuclear when we are yet to exhaust all the other alternatives? People should get practical. By the way, France and other developed countries are struggling to contain nuclear waste. Let’s stick to Hydro, solar and wind turbines.

  32. The zeal with which she’s putting it, it’s like she’s been promised a good cut should the deal materialize. The last supper before being kicked out of Parliament

  33. An example of Grade 7 exam question: If 42 fire tenders cost 42 millions dollars, what is the cost of one nuclear power station in Zambia?
    a) 420 million dollars
    b) 420 billion dollars
    c) 420 trillion dollars
    d) it is a non viable project

  34. Prof. Nkadu luo, talk abt the hazards and hw u will contain them? i mean if cholera is giving u sleepless nights and the solution is basic hygiene how abt Uranium?
    Uranium-238,235,234 highly radioactive: Uranium -238 alpha decay will give u Thorium -234 with half-life of 24.1days beta decay to produce Protactinium- 234m with 1.17min half-life! Uranium plant depends on such emissions to give out energy which u want to now use as source of power! not a bad thing when u have uranium in ur back yard, but do u have the capacity? NO is the answer! why does Russia seem to be very interested in this project? these emissions are energetic enough to break chemical bonds and have an ability to Damage or Destroy living cells! i feel we are not ready or desperate for such a project.

  35. You cant manage to buy medicine and beds in hospitals… Now you are talking about Nuclear energy you you cant even manage to maintain…you will just die like ba koswe with radiation…South Africa has now rejected this project yet they have got the capacity and money…what about bum country like Zambia…?Taking chances …Russia wants to make cash out of a bum country…

  36. 40% of all water bodies in southern Africa are situated in Zambia, the sun rise and set on zambia with little hindrance, the wind blows from west to east non stop. And what do we decide to, go for the worst, unhygienic and dangerous source of energy (nuclear energy).

    Nice.

  37. This is a strange government . Why is the Minister of Higher education making this announcement , where is the Minister of Energy ?

    I do not see how this government can run a nuclear industry, when they fail to sort out the Lusaka drainage system, cholera etc. The Minister should stop misleading people about the benefit of nuclear technology for medical usage and power generation usage.

    I hope SADC will have a say in this because any disaster would endanger the 100 million plus residents in sub sahara Africa.

  38. Zambia has failed to maintain cleaneness of Lusaka thus having cholera every few years secondly we have enough water falls but have failed to make hydro power becoz of not enough money so how can we do nuclear? & how r we gona maintain the plant if we fail to even clean Lusaka

  39. Nuclear Energy argument…Bollocks to that when we have not even exhausted other energy sources. Solar energy is on our door step why not explore that to the max and then jump? Wondering who our international new friend in need is going to be?!

  40. everyone keeps yapping on about Solar this solar that..some of you folks dont even know how solar works. during the day Solar is the best, during the night you need mega Batteries , during the Summer and sunny months solar is great, during the winter and months that the sun dont shine solar is rubbish. diversify energy, Hydro. Wind. Solar and Nuclear. Adelaide in South Australia is supposed to be the biggest energy efficient city in the world with Solar and some Wind power and it the worst..getting as many blackouts as some developing countries

  41. Who are the zambian experts…..not LUO……..she thinks she knows nuclear science and rocket science too…….uyu mayo???????????????//

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