Ethiopian Prime Minister Announces Launch of Nuclear Power Program, Plans to Build Two Reactors

Recently, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali stated during an inspection visit to the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission that developing nuclear energy is the "next development chapter" for Ethiopia to achieve technological progress and economic transformation, and that the country will be committed to converting its abundant natural resources into tangible drivers of prosperity.

It is reported that Ethiopia plans to build two nuclear reactors with a unit capacity of 1,200 megawatts each. Abiy Ahmed Ali pointed out that although nuclear power requires high initial investment and a construction period of at least ten years, its high stability and high output characteristics, which are unaffected by seasonal fluctuations, offer irreplaceable and significant advantages over hydropower and solar energy, and can provide solid support for industrialization, digital infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, and other sectors.

Regarding nuclear power plant site selection and preliminary preparations, the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission has narrowed down more than 30 candidate locations from an initial assessment to three potential sites. Abiy Ahmed Ali emphasized that before reaching a formal agreement with technology providers, the feasibility and suitability of the sites will be submitted to an international third-party institution for rigorous verification, while the country will prioritize the cultivation of highly skilled nuclear energy personnel and the development of institutional infrastructure.

As a core partner of Ethiopia's nuclear energy program, Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) is deeply engaged with the Ethiopian side. Since the two parties signed an intergovernmental agreement in 2019, they have successively formulated a bilateral cooperation roadmap and a nuclear energy development strategy roadmap, comprehensively covering key areas such as nuclear power plant construction, nuclear science and technology center planning, and national nuclear infrastructure development.

Russian Ambassador to Ethiopia Evgeny Terekhin stated that Rosatom is coordinating with the Ethiopian side to draft a new intergovernmental agreement on the basic principles of cooperation for nuclear power plant construction. Once signed, the agreement will formally launch the design and engineering phase of the project, and the entire cooperation process will strictly comply with the standards and regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).