⚛️ Africa’s Nuclear Future: Big Dreams, Cold Starts

Ambition is abundant. Reactors are not. Africa is running out of power—and patience. With a booming population and surging demand, the continent is desperate for reliable electricity. Renewables dominate headlines, but in the background, a more controversial energy source is quietly returning to the agenda: nuclear power.

For many African governments, the atom promises clean, steady baseload energy. But while the ambition is bold, actual progress remains uneven—and often painfully slow.

Let's chart the distribution of these plants in Africa:

Egypt: Concrete Progress

At the front of the pack is Egypt, where construction is well underway on the El Dabaa nuclear power plant. Backed by Russia’s Rosatom, the four-reactor project will eventually deliver 4,800 MW to the grid, making it Africa’s largest nuclear venture.

For Cairo, nuclear power is as much about prestige as power supply. After decades of delay, El Dabaa could finally bring Egypt’s atomic ambitions to life.

Kenya: Paper Promises

In Kenya, nuclear energy is still a distant vision. The planned Tana River plant, expected to produce 1,000 MW by 2027 and an additional 3000 MW by 2035, remains in the pre-construction phase. It exists mostly in strategy documents and press releases. With limited industrial capacity and a fragile grid, Kenya faces serious challenges. But officials argue that nuclear is key to energy security as hydropower becomes increasingly unreliable.

South Africa: Stalled Momentum

South Africa is the only African country with an operating nuclear plant. Koeberg, near Cape Town, has been quietly generating 1,940 MW since the 1980s. It’s stable, reliable, and aging.

A proposed second plant, Duynefontein, was cancelled amid mounting costs and shifting political winds. Nuclear remains on the national agenda, but its future is far from certain.

Nigeria: On Ice

Nigeria, too, had big plans. A joint project with Rosatom, the Itu plant was supposed to generate 2,400 MW. Today, it’s shelved. Bureaucracy, funding gaps, and a chaotic power sector have frozen progress. For one of Africa’s largest economy, nuclear energy remains more aspiration than reality.

Atoms in Limbo

Across the continent, nuclear power is stuck in a familiar pattern: bold declarations, foreign partnerships, and then... silence. The obstacles are well-known—high costs, technical complexity, public skepticism, and weak grid infrastructure.

Still, the potential is hard to ignore. As Africa’s energy demands multiply, and the limitations of fossil fuels and weather-dependent renewables become clearer, nuclear power may yet have its moment.

But for now, Africa’s atomic age remains mostly theoretical, glowing faintly on the horizon.