By BRIAN HATYOKA-
OVER the years, nuclear technology has been perceived negatively regardless of its vast benefits.
There is a public perception that nuclear technology can be used to make weapons that could potentially destroy the planet.
This negativity is often based on past nuclear accidents and the use of nuclear weapons by some countries, among others.
As a result, it has been an uphill battle for most countries across the world to develop nuclear power plants and nuclear science to boost their economies.
Nuclear science and technology applications can be used for peaceful purposes to foster development.
For example, many countries globally have invested heavily in nuclear energy to boost their economies.
South Africa, Russia, China, France and United States of America (USA) are some of the countries that have developed nuclear energy as a source of electricity for social economic development.
In the quest to enhance the exploitation of the nuclear potential, the Government of Zambia has resolved to accelerate the use of nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes to achieve sustainable socioeconomic transformation.
Zambia came up with a National Nuclear Policy in 2020 to provide a framework within which to use nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes in various sectors such as industry, agriculture, energy, health, mining, education, and environment.
Already, Zambia has been applying nuclear science and technology in various sectors of the economy.
The nuclear programme in Zambia is being implemented by the Ministry of Technology and Science.
Zambia became a member state of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1969 and has since been applying nuclear science and technology in medical, agricultural and industrial applications on a small scale.
As a member state of the IAEA and a State Party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Zambia is expected to use nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes in a manner that is safe and secure in order to prevent accidents and protect the public and the environment.
In the health sector, for example, health applications of nuclear science and technology are increasingly becoming an integral component in the provision of medical services in the country, especially in the management of cancer and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NDCs).
For instance, the use of ionizing radiation in human health has produced a lot of benefits in Radiotherapy (cancer treatment), Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine.
In the 1970s, the Diagnostic Radiology Department was established, leading to the installation of X-ray units in all district hospitals.
By the early 1980s, nuclear medicine facilities were set up at the University Teaching Hospitals (UTH) with assistance from the IAEA.
Further, the IAEA supported the establishment of the Cancer Diseases Hospital (CDH) in 2007 and the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory in 2016.
In 2006, Zambia established the first radiotherapy centre and has improved access of cancer patients to radiotherapy and the country increased access to treatment.
However, Zambia needs to invest further in advanced radiotherapy techniques to make them available.
Secondly, Zambia has a nuclear medicine facility that requires constant procurement of medical radioisotopes from South Africa.
The radioisotopes are used in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.
But the high cost of the radioisotopes is impeding the expansion of the nuclear medicine field in Zambia.
In the agriculture sector, Zambia has also been applying nuclear techniques although at a lower level.
The National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR) had in the past been using a Cobalt-60 gamma radiation source for food preservation.
However, due to the current low activity of the Cobalt-60, it can no longer be used for food preservation.
Zambia’s agricultural produce cannot penetrate international markets that require irradiated import produce to prevent pest migration.
However, the application of nuclear and technology has not been exploited to the fullest.
The application has been limited to plant variety improvement in agriculture, irradiation of agricultural produce for preservation as well as in the field of nuclear medicine and to a lesser extent in industrial applications.
Zambia has since opted to expand the application of nuclear technologies for economic development through the policy framework which will provide an enabling environment to address the expanded nuclear activities.
According to National Coordinator of the Nuclear Programme Implementation Unit (NPIU) under the Ministry of Technology and Science Reuben Katebe, the low power production the country experienced around 2015/2016 triggered the acceleration of nuclear science and technology.
Dr Katebe says the low power production, which arose from prolonged drought, caused a reduction of approximately 40 per cent of the economic growth rate.
He was speaking in Lusaka recently during a three-day capacity building training for selected senior journalists on the nuclear programme in Zambia.
The Government, through the Ministry of Information and Media, as well as the Ministry of Technology and Science, under the NPIU, has embarked on a public awareness campaign on Zambia’s nuclear programme.
This programme will see the construction of a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST) and a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
Dr Katebe said the Government had made it clear that nuclear energy was part of the diversified sustainable energy mix to power Zambia’s economy.
He said the goal for any nuclear programme was to use nuclear fuel to operate nuclear facilities like the power plant, research reactors or nuclear weapons production.
“Zambia’s nuclear programme goal is for peaceful applications to generate electricity from Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The country has opted to operate a research reactor to develop human resource capacity for NPP operations,” he said.
Dr Katebe said 120 students were sent to Russia for training in various nuclear related fields while 12 students had since been deployed in various Government institutions on internship arrangement.
Going forward, Government intends to finalise the development of two Bills to establish the Regulator and the Coordinating Agency as required by IAEA to ensure the programme is supported by law as a national position.
The Government also plans to spearhead the development of the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST) in line with the approved National Nuclear Policy, 2020.
Phase one would involve the construction of the Multi-Purpose Irradiation Center (MIC).
Dr Katebe said the Government would continue rehearsing with the IAEA and other cooperating partners in the development of nuclear science and technology.
Chilombo Chila, a nuclear expert from the Department of Energy, said a nuclear power station had a long lifespan and uses low fuel cost.
Ms Chila said the other advantage of a nuclear power plant is that it does not contribute to global warming.
However, she noted that there are disadvantages of such plants which include negative public perception as well as high costs of building, safety and decommissioning.
“Diversification is key to attaining energy security and fostering industrial development and economic growth,” Ms Chila said.
Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Kennedy Kalunga said the nuclear programme would also bring about a diversified and export oriented mining industry through enhanced coloration of gemstones for local and export market as well as mineral characterisation of various ores.
Mr Kalunga said the technology would also foster improved education and skills development as well as improved research and development.
“When fully implemented, Zambia will become second to South Africa on the continent to have developed the nuclear programme whose benefits are immense,” he said.
In 2016, the Government and the Russian Federation (the State Atomic Energy Corporation – Rosatom) signed a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing cooperation in nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Among the various agreements signed was the cooperation in the enhancement of public awareness of the nuclear energy programme in Zambia.
This was signed between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services then and Rosatom.
Mr Kalunga said the MoU’s overall objective was to ensure public awareness and acceptance of the nuclear programme according to the IAEA infrastructure issues under stakeholder involvement.
He urged the media to correctly sensitise the public on the benefits of nuclear energy in the economic development of the country.
On June 10, 2018, the local media incorrectly reported that Government intended to construct a nuclear power plant in Chongwe district.
“This misinformation caused a misunderstanding between the locals in
Chongwe and the programme implementers. Had the media known that what was being constructed in Chongwe was a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology, certain misunderstandings would have been avoided,” Mr Kalunga said.
Ministry of Technology and Science Permanent Secretary Brilliant Habeenzu said repeated negative coverage of nuclear power in the media had the ability to take away from the scientific community’s consensus that nuclear energy was safe.
In a speech read for him by Ministry of Technology and Science Human Resource and Administration Director Mala Sikazwe, Dr Habeenzu urged the media to objectively disseminate information on nuclear science and technology in Zambia.
At the end of the training, journalists established a Nuclear Science and Technology Press Club of Zambia (NSTPCZ) to consistently educate the masses and raise awareness on nuclear science and technology.
The club, which is being chaired by the author of this article, would work closely with the two ministries, research institutions, scientists and other experts to simplify nuclear science and technology matters.
By and large, the full application of nuclear science and technology will greatly benefit Zambia by enhancing the country’s economic competitiveness not only in the region but globally.
