• Ethiopia signs roadmap with Russia’s Rosatom to develop civil nuclear sector

• Partnership aims to reduce reliance on hydropower, which dominates energy supply

• Rosatom expands its footprint across Africa with multiple nuclear agreements

Ethiopia has taken a new step in structuring its civil nuclear partnership with Russia by establishing a roadmap with Rosatom, setting out the next phase of cooperation in the sector.

The document, signed last week under the oversight of Ethiopia’s Nuclear Energy Commission, outlines technical, institutional, and operational steps between the two sides. It also includes plans for joint projects focused on electricity generation.

The move builds on earlier discussions, including a nuclear cooperation agreement signed during World Atomic Week (WAW 2025) in Moscow in September 2025. The partnership is designed to support Ethiopia’s efforts to diversify its energy mix, which remains heavily dependent on hydropower. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), hydropower accounted for 96.5% of the country’s electricity production in 2023.

The roadmap had been presented as a key step to define the technical and economic framework of the project. It forms part of a broader process that includes a future intergovernmental agreement and the training of Ethiopian personnel.

Rosatom expands its role in Africa’s nuclear sector

Rosatom continues to play a central role in the development of civil nuclear energy across Africa, supported by a growing pipeline of agreements and projects. According to a March 2026 analysis by the PIR Center, the Russian state-owned company has signed nuclear cooperation agreements with 15 African countries, including Algeria, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and South Africa.

Through its regional arm, Rosatom Africa, the group is currently involved in building the El Dabaa nuclear power plant in Egypt, which is expected to include four reactors with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts each.

The company is also participating in the development of a nuclear research center in Rwanda, which includes a small modular reactor.

Abdel-Latif Boureima