Harare, March 6, 2025 – Zimbabwe is joining other African nations exploring nuclear power as a way to help solve chronic problems with electricity supply.
Demand for power continues to increase on the continent due to growing populations and economic expansion.
The only African country currently producing nuclear energy is South Africa.
The French-built Koeberg plant, near Cape Town, with two Framatome reactors and just more than 1,800 MW of generation capacity, has operated for 40 years.
Officials have said Russia would work on an expansion of that power station, and possibly on construction of new reactors elsewhere in the country.
Eskom, South Africa’s state power company, said it re-connected Unit 2 at Koeberg to the national grid on Dec. 30 of last year after replacing three steam generators, conducting comprehensive inspections, and refueling the reactor.
A decision on extending the unit’s operating license is expected this year.
Koeberg Unit 1’s operating license was renewed last year for another 20 years, to 2044.
The Koeberg units, both pressurized water reactors, have operated since 1984 and 1985, respectively.
Bheki Nxumalo, group executive for generation at Eskom, in a statement said: “As South Africa phases out some of the aging coal-fired power plants by 2030, nuclear energy is poised to provide a reliable and stable baseload supply.
“Unlike intermittent renewable sources, nuclear power ensures continuous electricity generation, meeting the needs of both residential and industrial users. Its ability to produce carbon-free energy also supports South Africa’s climate goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Edgar Moyo, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Energy and Power Development, said his country planned to increase its power generation capacity to at least 4 GW by 2035, up from the current 2.6 GW, although government data shows actual daily power generation is about half of capacity.
Moyo said his country would collaborate with Russia on construction of small nuclear reactors.
Moyo in late December told journalists at a meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, that the IAEA “have indicated their willingness to take us through paces until we get there.”
Russia already has agreements to build nuclear power plants with Egypt, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso, in addition to South Africa.
Russian nuclear energy state-owned company Rosatom and the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in 2021 signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on nuclear energy.
Economists and geopolitical analysts have said Russia wants to take a lead role in Africa’s energy future to expand its influence on the continent.
“A reliable nuclear energy infrastructure could supply electricity to millions of people in rural or underserved areas,” said Irina Tsukerman, an adviser and foreign policy expert with Scarab Rising, a U.S.-based geopolitical research group.
“Many African countries still face significant gaps in electricity access, and nuclear power can help bridge that gap, particularly in countries with a growing urban population.
“Nuclear energy can provide a stable supply for expanding economies, ensuring industries and households have reliable power without frequent outages or blackouts, which are common in many parts of Africa.”
