Ethiopia, Russia Ink Nuclear Power Deal

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Sept. 25 (Running Africa) - The deal was signed on the sidelines of the Russia–Africa summit by Rosatom Chief Executive Alexey Likhachev and Ashebir Balcha, Head of Ethiopian Electric Power, Reuters reported. The signing ceremony was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, underscoring the political weight of the agreement. Officials from both nations framed the accord as a milestone in expanding cooperation on infrastructure and energy development.

Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, established in 2007, is slated to lead the initiative. The document outlines a detailed construction plan, a roadmap of the project's technical and economic basis, and an intergovernmental agreement to proceed with the project. It also includes provisions for training programs and capacity-building measures to help develop Ethiopia's nuclear industry.

The initiative presents itself as other African countries are seeking avenues to explore nuclear energy. Niger's mining minister, Ousmane Abarchi, recently expressed interest in constructing two nuclear reactors with Rosatom. Presently, South Africa remains the only African country that has a running nuclear power plant, but Egypt is in the process of constructing reactors with support from Russia.

Ethiopia’s current electrical capacity stands at approximately 5 GW to cater to its population of over 120 million; however, demand is rising at a rate of 12-14% per annum.