Rosatom proposes granting Africa electricity through nuclear plants

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Jul 2023 19:34

Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom proposes to supply electricity to the African continent through nuclear power plants.

Logo of Russian atomic energy agency Rosatom (AFP)

During the Russia-Africa summit held in St. Petersburg, Alexey Likhachev, the head of Rosatom Russian state nuclear corporation put forth a proposal to establish a nuclear power fleet for Africa, with the aim of supplying electricity to various nations on the continent.

Likhachev revealed that African countries have shown considerable interest in projects involving Russian floating nuclear power plants.

He added that Rosatom envisions the creation of a mobile nuclear energy fleet, which would enable the direct supply of electricity to consumers from aboard these advanced nuclear power plants.

"Apart from direct supplies, the creation of a floating nuclear power plant has piqued the interest of several African governments. We have proposed one more modification of this project - the establishment of a nuclear energy fleet that will supply electricity directly from aboard a nuclear power plant," Likhachev stated.

Rosatom plans to commence practical implementation of nuclear projects in Ethiopia within the next two years, as announced by the company's head. This move reflects Russia's commitment to contribute significantly to Africa's energy capacity and to strengthen its collaboration with African nations in the pursuit of sustainable development.

Moreover, Likhachev noted that agreements have been made with the New Development Bank of BRICS to financially sponsor Rosatom's projects in Africa, including the nuclear plants.

This partnership aims to facilitate the construction of nuclear power plants and further enhance Africa's access to reliable electricity.

The second Russia-Africa Summit is taking place in the Russian city of St. Petersburg from July 27-28. According to the Kremlin, the summit participants are expected to sign a number of international and bilateral documents.

Earlier today, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced during the Russia-Africa summit that his country will provide approximately $90 million in debt relief to African nations.

This is part of Russia's ongoing efforts to support the development of African countries, and it comes in addition to the $23 billion debt that has already been written off.

Regarding the situation in Ukraine and NATO expansion, President Putin emphasized the importance of resolving conflicts through negotiations. He expressed his concern that the other side is unwilling to engage in talks, and he attributed the conflict partly to security threats from NATO and the United States.