Russia Offers Africa ‘Atoms for Peace’

Oct. 25—On October 23, the Russia-Africa Economic Forum in Sochi hosted a special panel discussion on the “Contribution of Nuclear Technologies in the Development of Africa,” with the participation of Director General of Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev.

This was one of the key topics of the forum’s business program. Likhachev discussed the capabilities of nuclear technologies, and their potential roles in the development of the continent, with other session participants, including the IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the its Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, Najat Mokhtar; the head of the Zambia Atomic Energy Agency, Roland Msiska; the Minister of Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda, Claver Gatete; the Minister of Innovation and Technology of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Getahun Mekuria Kuma; and other representatives of relevant ministries and corporations.

The stark reality is that Africa is in dire need of energy: 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa together produce as much energy as a single European country—Spain. That means that every other African has no access to electricity. According to the Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report for 2017, only five African countries have 100% electrification, all of them in North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco. South Africa follows immediately after at 85%. Then come Ghana, 64%; Senegal, 57%; Ivory Coast, 56; and Nigeria, 56%. According to World Bank reports, access to electricity is 20% in Burkina Faso, 16% in Niger, 14% in the Central African Republic, and 9% in Chad.

Rosatom has been active in Africa for some time, wrote Vanand Meliksetian, an adviser to the Netherlands on energy, in a May 15 article published by OilPrice.com:

Recently, Moscow has set its eyes on Africa where most states have either already struck a deal with the Kremlin or are considering one. . . . The Russian deal is particularly appealing to countries lacking nuclear know-how due to Moscow’s comprehensive offer regarding financing, construction, and operation of the facilities. Currently, Rosatom is experimenting with a contract known as “build-own-operate,” under which ownership of the plant remains in Russian hands while energy is sold to the host country. This new type of contract is appealing to several African states who lack the means to finance construction. In some instances, the mineral resources of host countries could function as a deposit for any liability comparable to Moscow’s “arms-for-platinum” deal with Zimbabwe worth $3 billion.

On October 15, in anticipation of the Sochi summit, Likhachev had said,

The creation and development of the nuclear industry on the African continent will not only solve the problem of the energy crisis, but also change the standard of living, providing full access to public health services, and increasing the level of education and food security. We see a great interest on the part of African countries in creating new ties for further technological development. Moreover, we are ready to discuss all possible options for cooperation on the continent. I am sure that Russian-African nuclear projects will have a great future

The forum in Sochi was prepared for by a conference in Nairobi, Kenya one week before, featuring officials of Rosatom and more than 150 energy and nuclear professionals. Representatives were present from African countries that are already implementing programs for developing nuclear technologies, such as Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Ghana, or are planning to do so, such as Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Niger, Tanzania, and Tunisia. Also present, of course, was South Africa, which already has Africa’s only two functioning nuclear power reactors, but has only this month confirmed that it will now build small, modular reactors as its nuclear next generation.

Speaking in Nairobi, Dmitry Shornikov, CEO of Rosatom Central and Southern Africa, emphasized the advantages of joining the atomic club through creating nuclear industries in new countries, and gave an overview of projects with the maximum positive effect on industrial development, enhancing the quality of life, and developing the “knowledge economy.”

He said:

We are the only ones in the world who are fully vertically integrated in absolutely every segment of the nuclear value chain. We utilize this competitive advantage to create additional value by providing full support for the national nuclear energy program of the customer country at all its stages and provide access to the entire line of products and services throughout the entire life of a nuclear power plant from a single supplier.

At this point, aside from Russia, only two countries are in a position to contribute to Africa’s energy development—China and France. France’s crisis in its own nuclear sector, in the wake of incompetent decisions by recent governments and continuing pressure by Europe’s Malthusian green financial lobby, rules it out, unless it goes through a real change.

Russia, Egypt to Accelerate Industrial and Nuclear Projects

In their opening greetings, both co-chairmen of the Sochi summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egypt’s President Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, emphasized the importance of moving forward on the “ambitious” nuclear and industrial zone projects the two countries are working on. Putin reported to el-Sisi that, when visiting the United Arab Emirates last week, he had briefed officials on these Russian-Egyptian plans, and they “became extremely interested in our joint project and will also think of how to become involved in our joint industrial development plans.”

El-Sisi pressed for these projects to be moved forward quickly, with the same “get it done now” approach he had applied with such success in the Suez Canal expansion. Egypt wants to accelerate the process of setting up the Russian Industrial Zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone by “resolving all outstanding problems, so that Russian companies and enterprises come to Egypt, register and start working there.” Likewise for the nuclear power plant, Egypt “strongly hope[s] that all topics related to this project will be settled without delay, so that we can start implementing the project in accordance with the signed contract.”

El-Sisi then invited Putin to visit Egypt again for the ground-breaking ceremony of the nuclear power project and the signing of the contract for the Russian Industrial Zone.

El-Sisi took the occasion to thank Putin for holding this first Russian-African Summit. He referenced Russia’s long history of good relations with the whole continent, starting with its support for the African liberation movement. Russia has proved a “reliable partner,” he said, and—

We hope very much that Russia will be working in Africa in all spheres and fields, including in that of the development, as well as in the financing, of infrastructure projects on the continent, and in particular in energy and road construction.