Nuclear Energy

Abstract

This chapter shows that there are nine nuclear reactors located in Africa and Latin America with two in South Africa (1830 MW), three in Argentina (1627 MW), two in Mexico (1620 MW), and two in Brazil (1891 MW). South Africa began its nuclear program as part of the Atoms For Peace Program in the mid-1960s that also included the development of a nuclear weapons program in the early 1970s that was dismantled in 1989. In 1984, South Africa completed construction of two operating reactors and recently has deferred decisions on additional expansion of nuclear power. Africa has several other nations contemplating the use of nuclear, particularly those in North Africa and others that have produced uranium ore for fuel production. In Latin America, Argentina is contemplating further expansion of nuclear power and has ongoing dialogue with China, Russia and South Korea on developing new civilian nuclear power capability. Brazil is the only nation currently producing uranium for nuclear fuel manufacturing. Limited electrical grid capacity and connectivity in Africa (and potentially some parts of Latin America) and financing limit the future development of traditional nuclear power. Several nations are considering small modular reactors (SMRs) as an option (modular capacity nominally 25–250 MW). Argentina has constructed the world’s first SMR (25 MW) near the existing Atucha facility that is undergoing testing and is expected to go critical in 2017. However, there are many reasons to expect no nuclear future in most African and Latin American countries in the near future.