• Ethiopian Electric Power and Rosatom agree to plan a nuclear power plant
• Roadmap to cover technical, economic studies and staff training
• Deal comes as hydro accounts for 96.5% of Ethiopia’s electricity supply

Ethiopia has taken steps toward adding nuclear power to its energy mix. On Thursday, September 25, state utility Ethiopian Electric Power and Russia’s Rosatom signed a document calling for the planning and construction of a nuclear power plant.

The agreement was signed during World Atomic Week 2025 in Moscow by Rosatom Director General Aleksei Likhachev and Ethiopian Electric Power CEO Ashebir Balcha. It provides for a technical and economic roadmap, with provisions for staff training, and could lead to an intergovernmental agreement.

Although still at a preparatory stage, the move comes as Ethiopia’s electricity generation remains dominated by hydropower. According to the International Energy Agency, hydropower accounted for 96.5% of the country’s electricity in 2023, compared with 3.3% from wind and 0.2% from solar.

The inauguration on September 9, 2025, of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), with an installed capacity of 5,150 MW, has further cemented hydropower’s dominance. This dependence leaves Ethiopia vulnerable to climate fluctuations, underscoring the need to diversify its energy sources.

On the continent, South Africa remains the only country operating a nuclear power plant, at Koeberg in the Western Cape. Egypt is building several reactors at El-Dabaa with Rosatom, expected to begin service in 2028.

The Ethiopia-Russia deal places Addis Ababa among African countries, such as Niger, that are exploring nuclear power projects to broaden electricity supply and strengthen energy security.