AfrElec: Russia agrees to build nuclear power plant in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso's military-led government has signed an agreement with Russia to build a nuclear power plant (NPP) that it said will cover the energy needs of the West African country, in which little more than one-fifth of the population has access to electricity.

The new deal with Russia, signed at the Russian Energy Week in Moscow, is a culmination of talks that the Burkinabe military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traore, had with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July, during the Russia-Africa summit there in July.

"We have a critical need for energy, this is an important point for me because we need, if possible, to build a nuclear power station in Burkina Faso to produce electricity," the African leader was quoted as saying at the time.

"Our position is rather strategic because we are in the heart of West Africa and we have an energy deficit in the sub-region."

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in Moscow on October 13 does not give details of the proposed nuclear power plant, its funding, or a timeline for the construction.

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