Cape town: Africa's pursuit of nuclear power is fraught with significant obstacles, despite the continent's potential as a growth market for nuclear energy vendors.
According to Deutsche Welle, Tristen Taylor, a South African journalist, conducted a comprehensive study in 2025 on the nuclear ambitions of African nations, revealing both promising opportunities and daunting hurdles.
Taylor's report, published by the Cape Town office of the Heinrich B¶ll Foundation, highlights that Egypt shows the most promise in bringing a nuclear reactor online. In 2022, Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom began constructing a plant at el-Dabaa on Egypt's northern coast. However, Taylor points out that the nuclear aspirations of Sahel nations such as Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso remain unrealistic, despite their agreements with Rosatom. These agreements often symbolize political backing rather than tangible progress towards nuclear development.
In South Africa, the Koeberg nuclear power station near Cape Town remains the continent's sole operational facility. Its operating permit was extended for another 20 years in 2025, raising concerns among environmentalists about safety standards and maintenance by Eskom, the state-owned power utility. Francesca de Gasparis of the Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute (SAFCEI) emphasized the need for rigorous maintenance testing and updates to monitoring equipment, drawing lessons from past nuclear disasters like Fukushima.
Meanwhile, Eskom plans to build a larger 4,000-MW facility at nearby Duynefontein, amid criticisms about transparency and outdated data. Eskom was contacted for comments on reactor safety but had not responded by the time of publication.
In West Africa, Ghana is exploring nuclear power with potential partnerships from France, China, South Korea, Russia, or the United States. While construction could begin in 2027, specifics about contracts remain undisclosed. Ghana is also investigating Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for their advantages in safety and scalability, although only prototypes exist currently.
Kenya's nuclear ambitions include a 2,000-MW plant in Siaya, slated to begin operations in 2034. However, the dissolution of the national nuclear authority, NuPEA, has added uncertainty. Environmentalist Phyllis Omido expressed concerns about the impact on local fishing communities and the risks associated with transporting nuclear fuel.
The issue of managing radioactive nuclear waste remains a critical challenge. In South Africa, low- to medium-level waste is stored in Vaalputs, yet highly radioactive fuel is still kept at Koeberg. Plans for a final repository are set for 2065, but activists remain skeptical about its feasibility.
SAFCEI's de Gasparis warned against expanding nuclear energy production due to the unresolved problem of high-level waste management, emphasizing the need for sustainable solutions to avoid compounding future challenges.