Nuclear Power: Africa eyes small modular reactors to plug power gaps

Bonface Orucho, bird story agency

African countries are exploring small modular reactors (SMRs) to deliver clean, reliable energy to where it’s needed most.

While most progress in clean energy adoption in Africa has focused on solar and wind, a growing number of countries are now turning to nuclear power, specifically small modular and micro reactors, as a complementary, locally adaptable solution.

According to Robert Lisinge, a technology, innovation and connectivity expert, Africa’s SMR ambitions can be achieved through “synchronised planning at regional and national levels.”

“There is a need to conceptualise and potentially develop regional nuclear projects that involve perhaps multiple countries.”

That’s the vision emerging from Kigali, Rwanda, where policymakers, engineers and experts gathered between June 30 and July 1 for the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa.

The continent, they agreed, is no longer just exploring nuclear options, it is laying the groundwork for a new generation of energy solutions designed for Africa’s infrastructure realities.

“Across the continent today, we have 15 percent of generation, 40 GW of power, that cannot be delivered simply because of infrastructure issues, curtailment, and grids not being available, sometimes for 800 to 1,000 hours per year,” said Yohannes Hailu, Economic Affairs Officer at the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

Small Modular Reactors, which typically produce under 300MW, offer a potential workaround.

Built in factories and shipped to site, they can be installed close to the point of use, mining sites, industrial parks, or off-grid communities, cutting the need for extensive transmission infrastructure.

With more than 600 million Africans still living in the dark and demand rising from sectors like mining and manufacturing, the interest in SMRs is gaining speed.

Yet, in Africa, this is not just talk. From Ghana to Kenya to South Africa, governments are moving beyond feasibility studies and into tangible action, backed by policy shifts, skills development, and international partnerships.

Ghana, for example, has signed a framework agreement with U.S.-based Regnum Technology Group and NuScale Power to deploy up to 12 NuScale VOYGR-12 SMR modules. Each module will initially produce 50MW, with plans to scale up to 77MW, delivering nearly 924MW when fully deployed.

Beyond generation capacity, Ghana is building a foundation to become a regional hub for nuclear training and localization. With U.S. government collaboration, the country has launched the region’s first NuScale Energy Exploration Centre (E2 Centre) in Accra—a state-of-the-art facility that simulates full-scale nuclear operations and includes a welding certification lab.

The centre will provide hands-on training for Ghanaian engineers and technicians and is linked to academic institutions like Texas A&M University. It’s also laying the foundation for local nuclear supply chains, making Ghana a potential first-mover in West Africa’s nuclear ecosystem.

Officials aim to build up to 1,000MW of nuclear capacity by 2034. According to Ghana’s Nuclear Power Institute, the country is also in the process of negotiating a “123 Agreement” with the U.S. for long-term civilian nuclear cooperation and trade.

In South Africa, home to the continent’s only commercial nuclear facility, Koeberg, the focus has shifted from large-scale expansion to a locally designed high-temperature SMR known as the HTMR-100.

Backed by local firms and Chinese partners, the project is pursuing a financing package of nearly US$500 million. Spearheading the effort, Koya Capital has partnered with Stratek Global to raise funds and oversee construction of the modular reactor in South Africa.

Rwanda is also positioning itself as a launchpad for experimental nuclear technology in East Africa. The government has signed agreements with U.S.-based NANO Nuclear Energy and the Canada-Germany firm Dual Fluid to pilot microreactors in the 2 to 10 megawatts range.

These units could provide off-grid communities or specialized industries with reliable power, serving as test cases for broader deployment.

“SMRs could supply clean, reliable energy to creditworthy mining operations, enabling value addition to products for global markets,” according to Brian Dlamini, Planning Engineer for the Southern Africa Power Pool.

Even countries without active deployment plans are laying the foundation.

Nigeria is modernizing its regulatory frameworks and has joined the U.S.-backed FIRST program, which helps countries prepare for advanced nuclear technologies.

Kenya, aiming to commission its first nuclear plant by 2034, hosted Africa’s first IAEA-led SMR School in May 2025 and has launched its own SMR feasibility studies.

The geopolitical landscape is also rapidly evolving as global powers race to gain a foothold in Africa’s nuclear future.

Egypt’s nuclear ambitions have received a major boost with the El-Dabaa plant reaching a key milestone in July. A Russia-backed project, El-Dabaa saw the installation of a 480-tonne core catcher, an essential passive safety system designed to prevent reactor meltdown.

The US$30 billion project will deliver four reactors of 1,200MW each, with the first expected to come online by 2028. Egypt’s long-term plan aims to install 4,800MW of nuclear capacity by 2035.

Rosatom, the Russian state energy corporation, is leading the build, but Egypt has also signed nuclear energy cooperation agreements with China and South Korea, as it seeks to diversify partnerships and strengthen its technological base.

The United States, meanwhile, is accelerating engagement as seen during the U.S.-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit. Held in Nairobi in 2024, the event saw agreements signed with Ghana and Kenya, including plans for reactor development, regulatory support, and nuclear workforce training.

Kenya also signed an MoU with Russia in 2025, outlining plans to start construction of its first nuclear power plant by 2027 with a projected capacity of 1,000MW.

China, too, is pushing aggressively. At the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China and Nigeria inked a deal to expand nuclear energy cooperation. BloombergNEF reports that China approved 11 new domestic reactor projects in 2024 alone and plans to become the world’s top nuclear generator by 2030.

Projections from the Nuclear Business Platform (NBP) suggest Africa could generate as much as 15,000MW of nuclear energy by 2035, led by Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.

While no African nation currently manufactures SMRs, early steps toward localization are underway.

Despite efforts, financing remains a key challenge. With costs ranging from US$2 to US$3 million per megawatt, a single 100-megawatt SMR could run over US$200 million.

However, institutions like the African Development Bank and the West African Development Bank are beginning to study SMR financing mechanisms. Regional power pools and public-private partnerships are also being considered.

With 40 gigawatts of energy capacity stuck in limbo due to poor infrastructure, SMRs offer a way to bypass bottlenecks and deliver power where it’s needed.

Industrial parks, mining zones, and remote towns are emerging as early targets. SMRs could also support desalination projects, mini-grids, and even green hydrogen development.

The consensus in Kigali was unmistakable. Small and micro modular reactors represent a transformative opportunity for the continent. But seizing it will require coordinated investment in policy, finance, and infrastructure.

A 2025 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that nuclear energy will reach a record high this year, with 63 reactors representing more than 70 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity under construction globally.

bird story agency