Ethiopia, Sudan to develop nuclear power with the help of Russia

Ethiopia recently signed an agreement with Russia to set up nuclear technology to help power the Horn of Africa country.

The agreement was signed last week during the visit of the Russian foreign affairs minister, Sergey Lavrov who met Ethiopia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Workneh Gebeyehu in Addis Ababa.

“We agreed to strengthen economic, trade and investment relations between the two countries. We have also discussed ways to cooperate on various sectors, including in setting up nuclear technology centre, education, science, and technology,” said Workneh.

He was quick to indicate that the nuclear development program which will be launched after the conclusion of the agreement will be used for “peaceful purpose”, reports local media FANA Broadcasting Corporation.

Sudanese Water Resources and Electricity Minister Moataz Musa is also in Moscow for talks with the head of Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom on building nuclear power stations in Sudan, reports state news agency SUNA.

“The two sides will sign a number of memorandums of understanding, including a roadmap to build a nuclear plant,” ministry spokesperson Mohamed Gawish said.

The minister further explained that Sudan is looking forward to building a “small-scale nuclear reactor to produce electricity and to complete the studies needed to establish a nuclear plant within eight years under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency”, reports local media Sudan Tribune.

South Africa is the only country in Africa with a commercial nuclear power plant. Its two reactors located at the Koeberg nuclear power station produce 5% of the country’s electricity.

Other African countries including Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, and Uganda are considering the use of nuclear power to generate electricity.