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South Africa has had more than 10 years of rotating power cuts (loadshedding) as it cannot even produce enough energy for itself. Yes it has one nuclear power p

South Africa has had more than 10 years of rotating power cuts (loadshedding) as it cannot even produce enough energy for itself. Yes it has one nuclear power plant on its last legs, but it has failed to even plan to build any new ones. So this whole 'we are the best in Africa and need to help out our neighbours' take is kind of ironic. > She said that while South Africa has 93% access to electricity, there are 600 million people on the African continent that do not, and South Africa believes that "if we are to eradicate poverty, unemployment, and inequality in Africa, we need to get rid of energy poverty and guarantee energy security".

Synaesthesia 3y ago
South Africa also built its own nuclear power plant. We are capable of doing advanced things, just like anyone else.
- galaxyofdoom 3y ago
  you were capable. now the nation has been looted and a shithole remains. internet comments aside in your heart of hearts you and everyone else knows im right.
  - PaulHoule 3y ago
    A nation in that condition can overcome. And what else is worth doing? The challenge I see isn't that they can't mine uranium and make HTR fuel, but more that there is not much of a market for it at the moment. But the concept is still under development https://www.modernpowersystems.com/features/featurewhatever-became-of-pbmr-9780039/ https://www.modernpowersystems.com/features/featurewhatever-... and they have a dual reactor powerplant running in China https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/China-s-demonstration-HTR-PM-reaches-full-power https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/China-s-demonstratio... I am a little skeptical about the pebbles because of the problems they had in Germany https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:39099096 https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:39099096 which I'd summarize as "in the helium environment the pebbles experience friction that causes significant fuel damage" China and X-Energy seem to think they can solve it but it is also possible to develop prismatic fuel elements that won't slide past each other but will need disassembling the pile at refueling time.
- shrubble 3y ago
  It was built 1976 to 1984. Given the extensive emigration of educated people since, does SA still retain enough people locally to be able to accomplish similar feats?
bluGill 3y ago
> So this whole 'we are the best in Africa and need to help out our neighbours' take is kind of ironic. I don't know if they are the best in Africa, but they are near the top. Which is a sad take on how bad the world has looted and still is looting Africa. Who is looting has changed over the years of course, but there are still major players both external and internal looting the countries to their own benefit.
- marcusverus 3y ago
  Who is 'looting' Africa?
  - nick238 3y ago
    Wasn't Zuma involved in a ton of scandals and bribery (allegations(?)) Last I read up on South Africa, the ANC's extremely dominant position means there's pseudo-one-party rule, with all the usual downsides that entails. Politicians are not beholden to the electorate as much as to the party itself, because the party controls who's up for what election. The US/UK political parties are also pretty nauseating sometimes, but they and the free(r) press are hyper-aggressive at keeping everyone honest (to the point they make mountains out of mole-hills/grains of sand)
  - bluGill 3y ago
    There are many different countries and many different actors looting. Iran, Russia, United Arab Emirates, China, France and the US are country level actors that I know of. I have no doubt there are more. Some of them try to keep the interests of Africa in mind, some are straight up looting (if you make money from a mine but use your profits to improve the area is that looting - this is a complex topic that depends on details) Many countries are run by a dictator (often their top military general) who run the country for their own gain. Sometimes these dictators are natives who grew up as elite in the country, but none care about the people. Even where the country is a democracy, often the leaders are using corruption to ensure they win elections and then they run the country for their own gain not the people. Note that I didn't put companies in the list. While there are companies involved, they are all hiding between a country in some way and if you reform the country they are powerless.

Synaesthesia 3y ago

South Africa also built its own nuclear power plant. We are capable of doing advanced things, just like anyone else.

galaxyofdoom 3y ago
you were capable. now the nation has been looted and a shithole remains. internet comments aside in your heart of hearts you and everyone else knows im right.
- PaulHoule 3y ago
  A nation in that condition can overcome. And what else is worth doing? The challenge I see isn't that they can't mine uranium and make HTR fuel, but more that there is not much of a market for it at the moment. But the concept is still under development https://www.modernpowersystems.com/features/featurewhatever-became-of-pbmr-9780039/ https://www.modernpowersystems.com/features/featurewhatever-... and they have a dual reactor powerplant running in China https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/China-s-demonstration-HTR-PM-reaches-full-power https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/China-s-demonstratio... I am a little skeptical about the pebbles because of the problems they had in Germany https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:39099096 https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:39099096 which I'd summarize as "in the helium environment the pebbles experience friction that causes significant fuel damage" China and X-Energy seem to think they can solve it but it is also possible to develop prismatic fuel elements that won't slide past each other but will need disassembling the pile at refueling time.
shrubble 3y ago
It was built 1976 to 1984. Given the extensive emigration of educated people since, does SA still retain enough people locally to be able to accomplish similar feats?

bluGill 3y ago

> So this whole 'we are the best in Africa and need to help out our neighbours' take is kind of ironic. I don't know if they are the best in Africa, but they are near the top. Which is a sad take on how bad the world has looted and still is looting Africa. Who is looting has changed over the years of course, but there are still major players both external and internal looting the countries to their own benefit.

marcusverus 3y ago
Who is 'looting' Africa?
- nick238 3y ago
  Wasn't Zuma involved in a ton of scandals and bribery (allegations(?)) Last I read up on South Africa, the ANC's extremely dominant position means there's pseudo-one-party rule, with all the usual downsides that entails. Politicians are not beholden to the electorate as much as to the party itself, because the party controls who's up for what election. The US/UK political parties are also pretty nauseating sometimes, but they and the free(r) press are hyper-aggressive at keeping everyone honest (to the point they make mountains out of mole-hills/grains of sand)
- bluGill 3y ago
  There are many different countries and many different actors looting. Iran, Russia, United Arab Emirates, China, France and the US are country level actors that I know of. I have no doubt there are more. Some of them try to keep the interests of Africa in mind, some are straight up looting (if you make money from a mine but use your profits to improve the area is that looting - this is a complex topic that depends on details) Many countries are run by a dictator (often their top military general) who run the country for their own gain. Sometimes these dictators are natives who grew up as elite in the country, but none care about the people. Even where the country is a democracy, often the leaders are using corruption to ensure they win elections and then they run the country for their own gain not the people. Note that I didn't put companies in the list. While there are companies involved, they are all hiding between a country in some way and if you reform the country they are powerless.