Russian nuclear company Rosatom ready to build NPPs for Africa

Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom has received applications from several African countries for the construction of new nuclear power plants (NPPs), according to the company’s CEO Alexei Likhachev.

South Africa has expressed its interest in building a floating NPP with Rosatom’s help, Likhachev told the State Duma, as reported by Interfax. The nuclear corporation is also in the final stages of negotiations for the construction of a mini-hydropower station in another African country, he said.

During African Energy Week in Cape Town in October last year, Rosatom expressed its readiness to participate in African energy projects, Russian state media agency TASS reported at the time.

At the conference, it was noted that Africa had enormous potential for developing nuclear energy and Russia could play a key role in bringing reliable power to a continent where more than 600mn people do not have access to electricity.

South Africa is the only country with an operating NPP in Africa. Rosatom is currently building an NPP in Egypt. Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia and Uganda have also expressed their interest in NPPs, according to TASS.

Three African countries are currently mining uranium in industrial quantities: Namibia, Niger and South Africa, which account for 18% of the global uranium ore sales market, the news agency writes.