Zambia is facing an unprecedented energy crisis, with power cuts lasting up to 12 hours a day and a rapidly growing population putting increased strain on the country’s infrastructure. In the face of this crisis, economist Dr. Lubinda Haabazoka is calling for the exploration of nuclear power as a solution.
“Load shedding has its own huge negative effects on both households and businesses,” said Dr. Haabazoka. “Not only does it increase the cost of doing business and living, it also limits people’s ability to not only do business but also construct their livelihoods.”
Dr. Haabazoka pointed out that while Zambia’s electricity generation capacity has increased from 1,800 megawatts in 2010 to 3,200 megawatts in 2021, actual generation is dependent on the amount of water in the country’s rivers. Poor rainfall patterns in recent years have had a negative impact on economic growth, with power cuts forcing companies to reduce production and the country spending more on power imports.
“If our population was 12 million in 2012, our population has almost doubled to close to 20 million people in 2021! This huge growth in population means we need more infrastructure to support the population and power is one of them,” said Dr. Haabazoka.
“The 1,800 megawatts power generation capacity was left by Kenneth Kaunda who last built power generating capacity in 1977. That capacity was to support a population of 3 million people.”
Given the limitations of hydroelectric power, Dr. Haabazoka is calling on the government and the people of Zambia to consider alternative energy sources. “We can’t just wait for God to give us water to generate electricity,” he said.
“We need to use the intelligence God granted us to diversify our energy sources. Europe once started preaching green energy and they are now paying for that this winter! That rhetoric should not consume Zambia.”
Dr. Haabazoka argued that the use of peaceful nuclear power could help to create a stable base load and sustain the country’s growing population.
“We need to proceed on the path of seeking peaceful nuclear power in order to sustain our growing population and region at large,” he said. “Ask any sober engineer and they will tell you that the maximum we can harness in terms of hydroelectric power is not more than 5,000 megawatts. Our rivers are drying. We are cutting down trees at an alarming rate! We are careless hence no rainfall.”
The economist also called on the government to utilize the expertise of those who have worked on the nuclear energy project in the past.
“There is a program that the government started on nuclear energy,” he said.
“How far is this project? People with institutional memory on this project have since been scattered around. I was one of the people that worked on the Turnkey of the research reactor! No one has ever come to ask me about the project in 3 years! That’s how this country gets it wrong! The late Msiska had done quite a lot for us to diversify into nuclear! People he worked with are still there! Let’s just do the right thing. We shall end up a disaster in the future when it’s too late.”