Atomic Africa: Clean Energy’s Dirty Secrets

An extract from the documentary ’Atomic Africa: Clean Energy’s Dirty Secrets’. Africa’s development is being held back by its poor infrastructure and undersize power plants. Countries like Uganda can only produce only a quarter of the energy needed, leading to daily power cuts with disastrous impact on the economy. It’s a golden opportunity for companies like French nuclear giant, Areva, who lobby aggressively for more power plants in Africa. But how safe are these new reactors? And what do they mean for the local population? Ever since the first reactor was built in Congo in 1958, there have been concerns about its safety. In 2007, the head of the research institute was arrested for illegally selling nuclear fuel rods. Today Congo remains dangerously unstable – but sees its future in atomic energy and is planning more power stations. In Niger, the ‘Uranium Highway’ runs through rebel territory. A branch of Al-Qaida is operating in this area and transporting radioactive materi