Background note on Africa’s Current Path Energy Future to 2043

The document outlines the state of nuclear energy in Africa, noting that while South Africa is the only country with a commercial plant, Egypt is constructing a large-scale facility and several other nations are exploring the option. It highlights the potential role of small modular reactors (SMRs) in balancing grids with renewable energy.

• South Africa currently operates the only commercial nuclear power plant on the continent, the Koeberg station, which has a capacity of 1,940 MW and provides approximately 6% of the country's electricity. While originally set for decommissioning in 2024, its operational life is being extended to 2044, and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa approved plans in 2021 to acquire an additional 2,500 MW of nuclear power.
• Egypt is implementing a nuclear build program featuring a 4.8 GW plant at El-Dabaa on the Mediterranean coast, developed via a US$25 billion contract with Russia's Rosatom. The first unit is expected to be operational by 2028, with all four units completed by 2030.
• Ghana, Morocco, Uganda, and Rwanda are exploring nuclear power options, although construction has not yet begun in any of these countries.
• Small modular reactors (SMRs) with 100 MW capacity could be used to balance the grid alongside renewable energy output, while larger 1 GW units would provide significant base-load capacity.

APA

Cilliers, J. (2023). Background note on Africa’s Current Path Energy Future to 2043. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=other/Energy&topic=08-nuclear

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie. Background note on Africa’s Current Path Energy Future to 2043. Institute for Security Studies, 2023. https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=other/Energy&topic=08-nuclear.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |title=Background note on Africa’s Current Path Energy Future to 2043 |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=9 November 2023 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=other/Energy&topic=08-nuclear |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliers2023background, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{Background note on Africa’s Current Path Energy Future to 2043}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/special-reports/guide.pdf?report=other/Energy&topic=08-nuclear}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }