Zimbabwe has become the latest African country to express an interest to work with Russia to establish nuclear energy as part of its efforts to end chronic power shortages.
With Russia increasingly interested in Africa’s nuclear power sector for strategic, economic, and geopolitical reasons, the Zimbabwean government has said it was working with Russian investors as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to establish nuclear energy as part of the southern African country’s energy mix. “They have indicated their willingness to take us through paces until we get there,” Edgar Moyo, minister of energy and power development, told journalists, expressing hopes to develop small, modular reactors. This comes as Russia has in recent years expanded its increasingly dominant role in Africa’s nuclear sector with agreements from 15 countries.
Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation, Rosatom, reportedly holds about 70% of the global export market for new nuclear power plants. Morocco, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, South Africa and other nations across the continent have signed deals with Russian investors to develop nuclear energy programs. Russia’s growing interest in Africa’s nuclear sector reflects its ambitious move to expand geopolitical influence, while positioning itself as a key partner in addressing the continent’s energy challenges. Rosatom has undertaken several projects and is in talks with various African nations to develop nuclear energy programs aiming to help them tackle chronic power shortages, which hinder industrialization and economic growth.