Africa Conference Promotes Nuclear Power Plants

Officials from 45 African countries held the continent's first conference on nuclear power's potential contributions to sustainable development on Jan 9-10. They pledged to promote the safe and accountable use of nuclear energy. The conference was held in Algiers, Algeria and conferees discussed Africa's need for electricity from nuclear power stations. Mohammed El-Baradeï, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency pledged to promote technical cooperation within Africa. Africa has only two commercial nuclear reactors, both in Cape Town, South Africa at the same facility. Algeria, Egypt and Nigeria are interested in nuclear power for both electricity production and the desalination of seawater.

According to the Pretoria News in South Africa, Namibia, the fourth largest uranium producer in the world, is planning to develop its first nuclear power plant. Three companies are mining uranium at eight known uranium deposits in the Erongo Region: 1) West Australian Metals (WME) at its Marenica Project, 2) Paladin Resources, another Australian firm, operates the Langer Heinrich Uranium mine, and 3) Roessing Uranium mine

In 2006 the Namibian Government awarded 15 uranium exploration licences while six more companies hope to prospect for uranium. According to the organisation Wise-Uranium they are 1) Extract Resources, 2) Kalahari Minerals, 3) West Africa Gold Exploration, 4) Forsys Metals Corporation, 5) Westport Resources, 6) Galahad Gold, 7) UraMin, Namura 8) Mineral Resources, 9) Xemplar Energy, 10) Australian United Gold, 11) Bannerman Resources, 12) Cheetah Minerals Exploitation, 13) Corporate Resources Consultant, 14) Etruscants Resources Namibia, 15) the Chinese company Nam-China Minerals & Development. 1) Namibia Mineral Mining Plants & Products, 2) New Mining Company, 3) Philco Twenty, 4) Reptile Investment Four, 5) Jaco Floris Smith and 6) Nova Energy. (SciDevNet, Free Press of Namibia, Hat Tip: Blackelectorate.com)