Ethiopia bets on nuclear power to cement regional energy dominance

Ethiopia is doubling down on its ambition to become a regional energy powerhouse through a new nuclear cooperation deal with Russia, a move that signals both economic ambition and geopolitical balancing in the Horn of Africa.

Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos said in Moscow on Wednesday that the agreement with Russia to build Ethiopia's first nuclear power plant "marks a huge milestone" in the country's energy transition.

Speaking alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Gedion described the pact as central to Ethiopia's vision of combining hydropower from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) with nuclear energy to drive industrialisation and artificial intelligence innovation.

"The energy generated from this plant will enhance our modernisation and position Ethiopia as a leader in emerging technologies across Africa," Gedion said.

The new plant, part of a Nuclear Action Plan signed with Russia in September, would make Ethiopia one of the few sub-Saharan countries to adopt civilian nuclear power.

The project comes as Ethiopia exports electricity to Kenya, Djibouti, and Sudan through the GERD, aiming to become a net energy exporter and a catalyst for regional integration.

He argued that energy cooperation could help "promote stability and prosperity" in the Horn of Africa, where competition for resources has often fuelled tension.

The deal, brokered during Russia's state-run Rosatom forum, also underscores Moscow's deepening footprint in Africa's energy landscape.

For Ethiopia, it represents both an attempt to diversify partnerships beyond the West and a strategic play to harness technology for economic transformation.

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