RUDN University scientist: Africa relies on small modular reactors to solve energy problems
鈥淭hese challenges are forcing African countries to聽look for alternative energy sources, including nuclear power. The transition to聽nuclear energy is聽driven by聽the need to聽ensure reliable supplies and diversify energy sources. Africa has significant reserves of聽uranium, which is聽mined in聽Namibia, Niger and South Africa, countries that are among the world鈥檚 largest producers of聽this raw material. In聽addition, there is聽a聽growing interest on聽the continent in聽the creation of聽nuclear science and technology centers, as聽well as聽research reactors鈥�, Yuri Radin, Doctor of聽Engineering Sciences, Head of聽the Department of聽Power Engineering at聽RUDN University.
However, the introduction of聽nuclear energy is聽facing serious limitations. According to聽the recommendations of聽IAEA, for the safe connection of聽a聽nuclear power plant, the capacity of聽the country鈥檚 power grid should be聽about 10聽times higher than the capacity of聽the planned nuclear power plant. Today, only a聽few African States have such powerful networks. For example, in聽East Africa, electricity production already exceeds its transmission capacity. Even in聽Kenya, where the installed generation capacity is聽2,400聽MW, this is聽not enough to聽build a聽鈥渟tandard format鈥� nuclear power plant.
鈥淭he way out of聽this situation may be聽small modular reactors (MMR), which generate up聽to聽300聽MW聽鈥� about a聽third of聽the power of聽the VVER-1000聽reactor. As聽the developers emphasize, the key components of聽the MMR can be聽manufactured in聽factories and delivered to聽the construction site on聽schedule. Another advantage of聽such reactors is聽that they can be聽placed deep in聽the continent, as聽they require significantly less cooling water. This is聽especially true in聽regions with limited infrastructure or聽low energy demand. The deployment of聽MMR near cities and industrial centers can be聽a聽solution to聽ensure stable energy supply鈥�, Yuri Radin.
Small modular reactors are one of聽the most promising nuclear energy technologies for Africa. Their implementation can not only improve the reliability of聽energy supply, but also reduce dependence on聽fossil fuels, contributing to聽the sustainable development of聽the continent.
The project to develop a cellular model of the placenta became the winner in the Scientific Materials category of the Young Scientists 3.0 competition, organized with the support of the Presidential Grants Foundation and T-Bank.
Ten scientific journals published by RUDN University have been included in the highest level of the state list of scientific publications, the White List.
Forests are not only the lungs of the planet, but also home to millions of species. However, it has remained unclear how underground interactions between trees and fungi affect forest species richness in different climatic conditions. Previous studies have yielded conflicting results: in some regions, the dominance of certain fungi reduced tree diversity, while in others it increased it.
The project to develop a cellular model of the placenta became the winner in the Scientific Materials category of the Young Scientists 3.0 competition, organized with the support of the Presidential Grants Foundation and T-Bank.
Ten scientific journals published by RUDN University have been included in the highest level of the state list of scientific publications, the White List.
Forests are not only the lungs of the planet, but also home to millions of species. However, it has remained unclear how underground interactions between trees and fungi affect forest species richness in different climatic conditions. Previous studies have yielded conflicting results: in some regions, the dominance of certain fungi reduced tree diversity, while in others it increased it.