Multiple African countries push nuclear power projects from planning to financing and construction

According to the nuclear energy special report in the recently released "Nuclear Industry Insights, Fourth Quarter 2026," more than a dozen African countries are attempting to advance nuclear power from policy concepts to financeable, constructible project stages. The report notes that rising demand for reliable, low-carbon baseload power is an important backdrop for nuclear energy's return to Africa's energy strategy discussions.

Currently, two of Africa's more advanced nuclear projects have reached new milestones. The reactor pressure vessel for Unit 2 of Egypt's El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant was installed on July 9, 2026. Previously, Unit 1 completed a similar installation in November 2025. El Dabaa is Egypt's first nuclear power plant, planned with 4 units and a total installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts, constructed by Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) under an intergovernmental agreement signed in 2015.

In South Africa, Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant received a long-term operating license in November 2025, extending its operation period to November 9, 2045. Koeberg Unit 1 was approved for life extension in July 2024, with its operation period extended to July 21, 2044. Koeberg is currently the only operating nuclear power plant on the African continent, and its life extension progress is seen as an important arrangement for South Africa to maintain nuclear baseload capacity.

The report also mentions that South Africa plans to advance the construction of a second nuclear power plant, targeting the addition of 5,200 megawatts of nuclear capacity by 2039. Once relevant tenders are launched, South Africa may focus on evaluating multiple Generation III and Generation III+ reactor technologies, including AP1000, European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), South Korea's APR-1400, Russia's VVER-1200, and China's Hualong One. The report compares these technology routes in terms of construction costs and project delivery records.

Multiple interviewed government, utility, regulatory, financial, and academic figures believe that the key to determining whether Africa's nuclear energy goals can truly materialize lies not only in reactor construction capability itself, but more importantly in institutional readiness, financing structures, and public trust. In other words, for nuclear projects to transition from vision to financeable, tangible projects, they require long-term stable regulatory systems, credible project revenue arrangements, and sustained social communication.

South African nuclear physicist Kelvin Kemm stated in related commentary that small modular reactors have the potential to make nuclear energy services more accessible to African mines, municipal institutions, and industrial users. An estimate cited in the report suggests this potential market opportunity is valued at approximately $105 billion.