US, Russia compete for Africa’s nuclear power deals

The two global powers are aggressively entering the emerging African nuclear energy market with custom solutions, offering knowledge transfer skills and educational partnerships to countries with nuclear power ambitions.

By Conrad Onyango

The United States and Russia are looking to increase their influence in the nascent African nuclear energy market, as more African countries seek to pursue power generation from nuclear plants.

Many of those countries are eyeing 2030 as a start date for the generation of nuclear power.

Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Morocco and Tanzania are all seeking to join South Africa, currently the only country with a nuclear power plant on the continent, in the production of this low-carbon electricity.

The US and Russia are courting these countries with forums that offer insight on their nuclear journeys, by suggesting innovative tailored solutions and with offers of skills and knowledge transfers and education cooperation, in their pursuit of potential engagement.

Last August, Kenya hosted the second edition of the US-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit (USANES), with a key focus on the industry’s readiness and the future of nuclear energy on the continent.

The US showcased its own industry’s success over the last 70 years and demonstrated how African industry could prepare for the development of the power plants.

“A spotlight will be placed on how local industries in Africa could unlock similar benefits from nuclear power development to those experienced in the U.S.,” read some of its agenda in the lead-up to the four-day summit, which hosted a panel discussion focussing on Africa’s industry readiness for nuclear power.

Representatives of nuclear boards, corporations and authorities from South Africa, Rwanda, Ghana, Tanzania, and Egypt attended the event, which also featured a session on nuclear financing and concluded with a special session dedicated to a US-Ghana commercial agreement on nuclear power.

The planned commercial agreement follows the Africa Nuclear Business Platform meeting in Accra, Ghana, in May, when the U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Ann Ganzer announced new civil nuclear cooperation to support Ghana’s safe and secure use of nuclear power, including establishing Ghana as a small modular reactor (SMR) regional hub.

For its part, Russia has been actively supporting African nations’ nuclear ambitions through its state-owned company, Rosatom, which is racing to capture a significant portion of the African market. Russia has been signing memoranda of understanding with African governments since 2023, offering localised nuclear solutions.

During the ATOMEXPO 2024 in Russia in March, Rosatom reaffirmed its commitment to offering a range of nuclear solutions tailored to Africa’s diverse needs, including large-scale nuclear power plants (NPPs), Floating Nuclear Power Plants (FNPPs), and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

Two months later, during the event in Accra, the company presented small and floating nuclear power plants (FNPP) to African states as a quick and effective solution to the continent’s energy needs

“We offer innovative solutions, such as the world’s only Floating Power Unit, which together with land-based SMRs, presents a cost-effective, easily scalable and quickly deployable option to address Africa’s increasing energy needs, all while supporting the region’s transition to clean and sustainable energy resources,” Rosatom said in statement.

In early February, Rosatom Central and Southern Africa Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Collyer, affirmed the company had been actively involved in numerous projects across the continent, focusing on infrastructure development, educational cooperations and technology transfers.

“Particular attention was given to the prospect of launching a strategic project to build a Russian-designed low-power nuclear power plant in Mali,” Rosatom announced in a statement.

Among other African countries, Russia has expanded peaceful atomic cooperation with Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Burundi and Burkina Faso.

“Our future cooperation plans with African nations are multifaceted and strategically designed to unlock mutual benefits. We aim to assist in the development and expansion of nuclear infrastructure in various African countries, providing access to reliable and low-carbon electricity, vital for sustainable economic growth,” said Collyer.

Rosatom is currently constructing a  US$25 billion nuclear power plant in El-Dabaa, Egypt. The plant will include four power units of 1200 MW each for a total installed nuclear energy capacity of 4.8 gigawatts (GW) .

Ghana is looking like the third African contender for a nuclear plant, planning to select a vendor for its buiild-out by the close of 2024.

Africa’s only nuclear facility, Koeberg recently got a new lease of life after the National Nuclear Regulator of South Africa approved a 20-year life extension for the plant’s Unit 1, whose 40-year operating licence expired July. Eskom, the plant’s operator, hopes to see a similar approval for the plant’s second unit following a refurbishment process.

bird story agency