Nuclear energy is experiencing a complex renaissance. Despite the historical shadows cast by accidents at Three Mile Island (1979), Chernobyl (1986), and Fukushima (2011), nuclear power is increasingly being championed as a climate-friendly, CO2-free alternative to fossil fuels. This renewed enthusiasm has reached the African continent, where several governments are pushing forward with plans to build new reactors.
Currently, Africa's only operational nuclear power plant is located in South Africa, housing two reactors at the Koeberg facility. However, this monopoly is set to change, even as questions linger about the feasibility and true motivations behind the continent's nuclear dreams.
A 2025 report by South African journalist Tristen Taylor, published by the Cape Town office of the German Green Party-affiliated Heinrich Böll Foundation, highlights Africa as a prime growth market for the global nuclear industry. Suppliers from South Korea, China, and Russia are particularly eager to secure contracts, often aided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in preliminary stages.
According to Taylor, Egypt holds the most realistic mid-term prospects for nuclear expansion. The Russian state-owned corporation Rosatom has been actively constructing the El Dabaa nuclear power plant there since 2022. Conversely, Taylor views the nuclear ambitions of Sahel nations like Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso as completely unrealistic. Despite these countries signing agreements with Rosatom, Taylor argues these deals are primarily geopolitical maneuvers designed to secure Russian political backing, rather than viable energy projects.
In South Africa, the Koeberg plant, built by a French consortium during the Apartheid era and commissioned in the mid-1980s, recently accounted for about 4 percent of the nation's electricity. In 2024 and 2025, the operating licenses for both reactors were consecutively extended for another 20 years, a move that sparked significant controversy.
Francesca de Gasparis, executive director of the faith-based environmental NGO SAFCEI, attributes these extensions to political pressure and the deep operational struggles of the state-owned utility company, Eskom. She points out a lack of post-Fukushima safety standards and significant gaps in documentation at Koeberg. Eskom did not respond to press inquiries regarding these safety concerns before publication.
Despite the criticism, Eskom is advancing plans for new nuclear infrastructure, most notably a proposed 4,000-MW facility at Duynefontein, near Koeberg. De Gasparis has criticized this project as well, citing a lack of transparency and reliance on outdated data.
Meanwhile, West Africa is making tangible strides. Ghana is in advanced planning stages for its own nuclear program, with a potential construction start date slated for 2027. While a final contract with a provider—options include France, China, South Korea, Russia, or the USA—has not yet been made public, the nation is pursuing a dual approach. Ghana aims to build both a conventional nuclear power plant and a Small Modular Reactor (SMR), a newer technology touted for its smaller footprint, simpler operation, and enhanced safety profile.
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