Next-generation technology is suited to the continent’s infrastructure and development goals, according to the chair of Rwanda’s atomic power board

©  Vladimir Astapkovich / Sputnik

Small modular and micro-reactors (SMRs) could offer a more affordable path to nuclear energy for African nations than conventional large-scale power plants, Lassina Zerbo, chairperson of the Rwandan Atomic Energy Board, has told RT.

Speaking in Moscow at the Global Atomic Forum, Zerbo noted that upgrading national grids to support large-scale nuclear facilities would come with prohibitively high costs.

By contrast, micro-reactors and small modular units can work with existing infrastructure, offering a “plug and play” solution that bypasses the need for massive investments in grid modernization. Such reactors require little effort to upgrade, and come “with not such big costs,” the official explained.

Zerbo argued that advanced, compact reactors will allow African countries “to benefit from an energy that we need for our socio-economic development.” 

 

READ MORE: Can Africa seize control of its own energy?

Speaking to RT, Robert Bright Mawuko Kwabena Sogbagji, deputy director at Ghana’s Ministry of Energy, also argued that SMRs are particularly well-suited for African countries. “No matter the size of the grid, small modular nuclear reactors are able to meet the demands of the energy needs of the African countries in the Global South,” he added.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), current estimates suggest that about 600 million people in Africa lack reliable electricity.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Moscow after the forum. During the talks, Rosatom and the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry signed an action plan to develop a nuclear power project, the Kremlin said.

In 2018, Rosatom signed an intergovernmental agreement with Rwanda on cooperation in the peaceful uses of atomic energy. While in 2015, Ghana and Rosatom signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering cooperation in nuclear energy development.

READ MORE: Putin meets Ethiopian prime minister

Rosatom’s African projects include Egypt’s El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant and a solar project in Mali through its NovaWind subsidiary. In October 2024, Burkina Faso signed a deal with Rosatom to build a nuclear power plant.