Ethiopia deepens nuclear partnership with Russia
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Fanamc
Ethiopia is deepening nuclear cooperation with Russia to diversify its electricity supply and support industrialisation. The partnership, launched through a 2019 agreement on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, will require scientific capacity, financing and safety standards, according to Fanamc.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission on 28 October, as Addis Ababa deepens cooperation with Russia to develop a civilian nuclear programme. The partnership aims to diversify the country’s electricity supply, which is heavily dependent on hydropower, according to Fanamc.
The cooperation is based on an intergovernmental agreement concluded in 2019 and an action plan for a nuclear power plant signed in September 2025. In March 2026, the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission and Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear group, signed a strategic roadmap to set out the programme’s technical and institutional steps.
Ethiopia is considering two reactors of around 1,200 megawatts each. Construction will still depend on site assessments, the establishment of a regulatory framework and financing for infrastructure that can be operated safely. The project is intended to meet rising demand linked to industrialisation, manufacturing, digital infrastructure and urbanisation.
The initiative is part of Addis Ababa’s efforts to expand its industrial capacity and secure its electricity supply. The government is also seeking to develop its local manufacturing production, while the electricity interconnection with Kenya is another component of its energy strategy.
