Nuclear science panacea to Zambia's power crisis
A power generation mix is no longer an option for Zambia and if the centre for nuclear science is established, it simply means the country will also have a nuclear power plant.
ZAMBIA’S nuclear science student ambassador in Russia, Bertha Mumba, 23, says Zambia’s load shedding conundrum can be solved by embracing nuclear energy and that the construction of a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST) is a step in the right direction.
Ms. Mumba, who is in the group of first Zambian students studying nuclear science in Russia, says the future of the country regarding nuclear science depends much on the desire for the uptake of courses aligned to the science field and that youths must not fear to venture in nuclear science.
She is among students attached to Rosatom, the Russian company that will construct a nuclear centre in Zambia through its project dubbed "Russian Nuclear Education Ambassadors", where they are promoting nuclear education around the world by participating in different events such as making presentations to students and school-going children.
In an interview with the Daily Nation at the just-ended Russia-Africa economic Forum and Summit in Sochi, Russia, Ms. Mumba said she was excited about the prospects of having a nuclear centre in Zambia as it comes with multi-sectoral benefits to the country.
She said once the nuclear centre is operational, Zambia will make huge strides in power generation, health, and agriculture sectors as it will respond to a number of challenges which the country is currently failing to deal with.
Here is the full interview Ms. Mumba gave to the Daily Nation.
Daily Nation: Give us your brief educational background.
Ms. Mumba: I did my primary education at Chakunkula Primary School and went to Munali Girls Secondary School where completed Grade 12 in 2015. After completing school, I was looking for scholarships. Initially, I wanted to do journalism but changed later.
Daily Nation: How did you clinch the scholarship and why did you pursue nuclear science out of many courses that you could have studied? How are you finding nuclear science?
Ms. Mumba: After completing school, I wanted to study abroad. I was looking for a scholarship that would meet my aspirations and then stumbled upon some scholarships offered by Russia. I heard about the nuclear science scholarship but I did not know much about it.
However, I got interested despite not having any idea about it and purposed that I would pursue it. I applied and got accepted and moved to Russia in October 2016 to study Nuclear Physics and Technologies.
I was among the first 20 Zambians to enrol in the nuclear science programme but now, only the 17 of us have remained.
I can testify that it is a wonderful course which gives you the impetus to research more. The more you discover new things, the more you want to research. It is an amazing field. I know there is a nuclear research centre that will be constructed in Zambia and I am extremely happy.
Daily Nation: There have been a lot of misconceptions and misgivings about setting up a nuclear research centre in Zambia. Of what importance is it to have such a facility?
Ms. Mumba: Having a research centre in Zambia will address a number of challenges in various sectors and contribute to economic development. Right now. Most of the hydropower facilities the country is using to generate electricity are located in the Southern half of the country.
Due to endemic droughts in the region, water harvest for power generation remains a challenge and the country is grappling with electricity deficit because of this monopoly of sources of power generation.
A power generation mix is no longer an option for Zambia and if the centre for nuclear science is established, it simply means the country will also have a nuclear power plant. This is a source of clean and safe energy because all what is required is heat to produce steam and generate electricity.
Once we have a nuclear power plant, we are assured of uninterrupted power supply for up to 60 years and this is why I am saying nuclear power generation is the answer to the current electricity load shedding that the country is subjected to.
Having a nuclear research centre in Zambia will also come with huge benefits to the health sector. Right now, Government is spending huge sums of money to evacuate cancer patients abroad for specialist treatment.
This is a drain and strain on the treasury but once we have a centre for nuclear science in Zambia, we will start producing isotopes locally. Isotopes are used in cancer treatment and once we do this, we will start treating cancer patients at home and the money which Government is now spending on such patients will be channelled to other needy areas of the economy.
The other area which could benefit from this is the agriculture sector. The other day, I was listening to Zambia Atomic Agency (ZAMATOM) director general Roland Msiska saying the country has been incurring a loss of up to 30 percent from its agricultural produce per year due to lack of adequate technology which responds to proper storage and preservation of our products.
These losses we are incurring as a country could have been avoided if Zambia had nuclear radiation facilities that would help preserve agriculture products especially for export. If the centre for nuclear science is constructed, we will not only add value to our agro produce, but also preserve such products.
Dr. Msiska gave a practical example of how we are losing out on mangoes. Zambia produces a lot of mangoes but we can't sell them major markets because they have too much fibre. With nuclear technology, we can reduce the fibre content preserve and export them.
As a country, we cannot fully reap the desired benefits of the diversification programme which Government has embarked on unless we embrace nuclear technology. Nuclear technology is not only vital for the production of purified seed, but also used in preserving agro products and prolong their shelf-life through radiation.
Daily Nation: What is your advice to the youths out there with regard to scholarships and pursuing nuclear science?
Ms. Mumba: Nuclear science is the future of Africa. We must not fear to face our challenges head-on as a continent if we are to make strides in technology and be at the level of the developed countries.
Those who want to pursue nuclear sciences, must take advantage of opportunities provided by Russia and live their dreams and contribute to the development of their countries.