African countries are seriously considering adopting nuclear energy, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director-general Yukiya Amano has confirmed, in reply to a question from Engineering News Online. “We are

working with Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria.” The IAEA is, of course, also working with South Africa, which already has nuclear power but is currently planning to considerably expand its nuclear generating capacity.

“Other [African] countries are considering or preparing for nuclear,” he stated. “We have a milestone document. This provides guidance. We are recommending that they use it – it is also [a form of] assistance.” (The document is ‘Milestones in the Development of a National Infrastructure for Nuclear Power’.)

“Nigeria is preparing [for nuclear power],” he reported. “The levels of progress are different [in different countries]. Egypt and Nigeria are quite advanced in Africa.” (Egypt and Nigeria already have operational research reactors – as do Algeria, Ghana, Morocco and South Africa, while Libya has a research reactor in temporary shutdown; the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s research reactors have been permanently shut down.)