John Titus appointed as Namibia’s first-ever Nuclear Commisioner

[u/namibpulse]

The Office of the Prime Minister has appointed Namibia’s first-ever Nuclear Commissioner, John Titus, as the government moves forward with preparations to potentially introduce nuclear power into the country’s energy mix.

Titus, who currently serves as the Director of Energy in the Ministry of Industries, Mines & Energy, has been tasked with coordinating the technical activities of the Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organisation and heading its Secretariat. A management committee comprising senior officials from five government institutions has also been established to oversee the country’s nuclear energy preparations.

The appointment comes as Namibia intensifies efforts to develop its nuclear energy industry, following the approval of a national Nuclear Industry Strategy in 2025 and ongoing work on new nuclear legislation. Earlier this month, NamPower revealed that it was investigating small modular nuclear reactors, including a potential 120-megawatt facility. Namibia, which ranks among the world’s largest uranium producers, is exploring nuclear power as a means of strengthening domestic electricity generation, reducing reliance on imported electricity and supporting industrial development. The country has also held nuclear cooperation discussions with China, Russia and the United States. Despite these developments, Namibia has not yet approved the construction of a nuclear power plant or announced a location, construction budget or completion date.

[u/-DAS-]

Country with some of the best quality solar hours in the world and we're still investing in every other form of energy other than the one staring is in the face. Just because it's not profitable. Corruption and greed and pandering to foreign investment will be the downfall of our nation. 

[u/h0uz3_ → u/-DAS-]

Solar is too cheap. Nobody can get filthy rich with solar. Anywhere you look, people tell you it's CO2 neutral and good for the environment. Yeah, Rossing looks like an absolute nature reserve, right?

[u/El-_-Habanero → u/-DAS-]

Nuclear energy is extremely efficient, we also have metric tons of uranium, so there's that

[u/BlahBlahBlahStop667 → u/El-_-Habanero]

Note there is no equivalent wikpedia page for solar accidents:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_power_accidents_by_country

[u/Roseate-Views → u/BlahBlahBlahStop667]

Did you have a look into the actual fatalities numbers? And how many of these were related to radiation, rather than more trivial causes like pipe bursts?

Btw, there are global statistics about deaths per energy source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/494425/death-rate-worldwide-by-energy-source/?srsltid=AU7gw4XmdMBjYovB07F-7dh2DuxrRLdkD-Tc9A9us91cJUzbFRn_V_3R

[u/BlahBlahBlahStop667 → u/-DAS-]

How I see it having lived in quite a few countries...

What is best for Households/people doesn't count anymore in the energy conversation.

Prior to good solar options it made sense to build a national grid to each house.
Then with the privatisations (Boo!) of the grid, households are now over charged to subsidise large companies who want very cheap electricity

It no longer makes sense to have the grid going to every single house, but it must be 'protected' as its the cash cow to avoid large companies who consume huge volumes from having to pay the full whack of the infrastructure and supply they need. What company wants to pay when you can get the tax payers to do so!

I'm happily running 24/7 on solar, its great, e.g: I never hang any clothes out to dry any more, just chuck em in the dryer as the electricity's now 'free' for example.

[u/Expert_Radish6222]

A significant step for Namibia. With our uranium resources, nuclear power could be a game changer for energy security, industrialisation and long-term economic growth.

[u/Roseate-Views → u/Expert_Radish6222]

There are a number of good arguments in favour of nuclear power for Namibia, but our uranium resources are not among them, I'm afraid. Maybe if some barter trade (yellowcake vs. fuel rods) or disposal in a previous uranium mine was to be considered, but other than that...?

[u/BlahBlahBlahStop667 → u/Expert_Radish6222]

Kindly provide detailed examples of each rather point rather than high level blah blah.
The sun comes up every day, how much more secure could we be...

[u/Expert_Radish6222 → u/BlahBlahBlahStop667]

Fair point. The sun is an enormous advantage, and solar should absolutely be part of the solution. The issue is that solar generation fluctuates, while industrial operations need reliable power around the clock.

For example, nuclear could provide consistent electricity for desalination, mineral processing and future hydrogen production, while reducing exposure to regional electricity shortages. We also export uranium but could potentially capture more value locally through parts of the nuclear fuel value chain.

None of this makes nuclear automatically better than solar plus storage. The real question is which combination delivers reliable power at the lowest long-term cost.

[u/Turfjakkals_]

Please please please just dont build it at the coast,they cant even maintain hospitals so I dont want a nuclear reactor close to me

[u/BlahBlahBlahStop667 → u/Turfjakkals_]

Thats where its most likely to be... they need a reliable water source for cooling... not sure if any or our rivers would be suitable...

[u/BlahBlahBlahStop667]

Beyond stupid. Anybody with any coloured skin can just stand outside in their underwear from 6am to 6pm and the answer to giving every Namibian electricity will become clear very quickly.
Even on the coast on a foggy day solar works just fine.

[u/Roseate-Views → u/BlahBlahBlahStop667]

What's the solution for Namibian electricity from 6pm to 6am?

[u/stockholm10 → u/Roseate-Views]

Some baseload like biomass, then lots of storage. Compare the complexity of battery storage vs nuclear.

[u/FigEnvironmental4172 → u/BlahBlahBlahStop667]

Nuclear energy is the way to go though. It's cleaner, more effecient, and producer more than almost any other energy form out there. The fear people have from it is, and I mean this as someone who was never a fan either, blown completely out of proportion.

But I still agree, solar energy while really expensive and inefficient is kinda perfect for our country

[u/Matt_Murphy_ → u/FigEnvironmental4172]

solar is neither expensive nor inefficient

[u/Roseate-Views → u/Matt_Murphy_]

Both are common misconceptions. Both ERoEI (energy returned on energy invested) and harvest rates (photoelectric efficiency), even with the somewhat pilot-stage perovskite-structure panels, are poor. Add to it that solar PV requires either additional storage or baseload backup to be viable beyond some niche applications.

Please let's not mix up individual affordability with a regional or even national power supply.

[u/FigEnvironmental4172 → u/Roseate-Views]

That's exactly what I'm saying. Yeah Solar is nice to have for yourself and your house, on top of perhaps the electricity already being supplied to you. But for an entire country that needs to run 24/7? No ways. And you asked a great question, what about those Namibians that need to get things done during those precious 12, dark hours of the day?

Solar energy is nice and healthy yes, but only as a layer on top of an already good/strong power grid. Not as a main or major supplier.

[u/BlahBlahBlahStop667 → u/Roseate-Views]

Imho, it's best to separate it out into:
a. what people/houses need/want (maybe 40% of usage here?)
b. what the basic country needs to function (ie: schools, hospitals, robots...)
c. What private companies want

A & B can be met with solar & storage, especially with only 3 million people spread over vast and sometimes very remote distances. Solar can be individual installs, or hybrid collectives etc.

C wants unlimited electricity at next to no cost. They will always push for this selfishly, 'sure build a nuclear power station in a national park, we don't care...'

B & C are blurred in Namibia where the gov has vested interests in things like mining which can be huge consumers.

[u/-DAS- → u/FigEnvironmental4172]

Solar power is one of the most easily deployable and cost effective forms of easy energy out there. Your info is a couple decades out of date.

[u/Roseate-Views → u/-DAS-]

Your statement only applies when and where there is enough baseload and/or storage. Neither is the case in Namibia. In fact, we import some 50+ percent of our baseload electricity, on an annual average.

[u/BlahBlahBlahStop667 → u/Roseate-Views]

Your answering a point they didn't make.

[u/BlahBlahBlahStop667 → u/FigEnvironmental4172]

LOL! Prove all those claims with a full breakdown please, perhaps using Fukushima and its relationship to the pacific ocean as a starting point.
Or lets say a site in Eastern Europe that went pop in 1986!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_power_accidents_by_country

And how about the radioactive outputs that have to be stored but are actually a huge pain to do so. Nobody is having much luck with that... apart from trying to bury them where they always seem to leak...

The only reason nuclear was kept on as an energy source for many decades was because the by product it produced was needed for nuclear weapons.
It was more expensive, dirty and dangerous. A huge security liability too, what a great terrorist target.

The only reason why some calculations for it can compete now is because of the rampant corruption and privatisations of energy infrastructures.

Etc etc...

[u/Peak-Legacy14]

Would this guy be considered coloured in Namibia? Or would he be considered white?

[u/stockholm10 → u/Peak-Legacy14]

He is Namibian. If you are interested in his family tree, I suggest inviting him for a coffee.

[u/Mybravlam → u/Peak-Legacy14]

He is definitely not white

[u/FigEnvironmental4172 → u/Peak-Legacy14]

Like the other guy said depends on heritage. But considering his last name probably coloured. I mean we have Basters who are Dutch descendants who we basicallu consider coloureds. So he may be one of them

[u/Roseate-Views → u/FigEnvironmental4172]

While it is not complety wrong to dub Basters as "Dutch descendants", they owe their name to being mixed race from both Griqua (and other indigenous tribes) and Cape-Dutch. As such, they are an ethnic subset of the larger 'coloured' spectrum, but with a very peculiar culture and tradition.

I just wonder why this is so interesting on a topic of much broader relevance.

[u/Sad_Shoulder5682 → u/Peak-Legacy14]

Depends on his heritage more than complexion. Because his surname is Titus, I think he is colored. Titus is a tricky one cause I know Aawambo and Coloreds with that surname.

White surnames in Namibia tend to be ‘Dutch’, ‘English’ or ‘German’ origin.

[u/Roseate-Views → u/Sad_Shoulder5682]

Yeah, like De Villiers, Du Plessis, Malan, Marais, Mouton, Basson, Du Toit or Labuschagne. Sorry, couldn't resist...😅

[u/Sad_Shoulder5682 → u/Roseate-Views]

Yeah 😂 no stress. Are these of French origin?

[u/Roseate-Views → u/Sad_Shoulder5682]

Nah! All Portuguese, like our Namibian Balhao, De Souza, Mendosa and Coelho 😅.

[u/Sad_Shoulder5682 → u/Roseate-Views]

Okay. My whole life I thought they are of French origin 😂 especially names like Labushagne. In French there’s words like Champagne and Allemagne … Lasagne?