Addressing Nuclear in the Africa-European Union Energy Partnership: Issues and Perspectives Through an African Lens

Globally, opinions concerning nuclear energy as a low-carbon technology are divided. On the one hand is the belief that nuclear is a green technology when viewed from the energy production and/or climate perspective. On the other hand is the argument that nuclear is not an acceptable green energy due to challenges around waste management and disposal. In this context, the Africa-European Union Energy Partnership (AEEP) took the form of a non-nuclear, low-carbon energy approach. Being one of the eight region-to-region connections established in 2007 under the Joint Africa-European Union Strategy (JAES) and, certainly, the most active, the AEEP sought to promote energy access and security across Europe and Africa focusing mainly on renewable energies. But the question remains: how impactful is the AEEP in addressing energy poverty in Africa, in particular when nuclear is side-lined? Further to this, the AEEP is still struggling to meet its 2020 energy targets, while the financial resources needed to achieve the targets are still incomplete with less than three years to the agreed dateline. Using data from secondary sources and 'constructivism' as its theoretical framework, this paper contextualises the potential role of nuclear in the AEEP, especially in the context of the political dynamics in Europe and Africa.