AREA

Rwanda Aims to Train 230 Nuclear Specialists by 2028

Rwanda plans to build a workforce of over 230 nuclear energy specialists by 2028. This goal is outlined in the published Nuclear Industrial Localization Roadmap and is intended to provide personnel for future power generation facilities, as well as for regulatory and safety bodies.

Currently, only 30–50 experts are employed at the country's relevant institutions. This gap must be bridged across a wide range of areas.

According to the roadmap’s authors, some of the required competencies will take 10–15 years to reach full maturity. This means that the current student intake is not merely an educational initiative but a critical infrastructure component; without it, launching the reactor in the early 2030s would be impossible. Previously, Fidel Ndahayo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board, estimated that the first power unit would require a staff of 234 during the initial operational phase.

The University of Rwanda, in collaboration with RAEB, has launched a four-year Bachelor of Science program in Nuclear Science and Technology; the first cohort for the 2025/26 academic year consisted of 52 students. However, the roadmap explicitly states that a bachelor's degree is insufficient — master's and doctoral programs will also be required.

Rwanda has been cooperating with Rosatom in the field of nuclear education since 2018. More than 200 Rwandan students are studying at Russian universities. In June 2026, the parties held the first meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee in Moscow and approved a roadmap for the small modular reactor (SMR) project. An agreement was signed in 2019 to establish a Center for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST) featuring a 10 MW research reactor.

Workforce training is proceeding in parallel with institutional development: the RAEB was established in 2020, a university program has been launched, and a coordination committee with Rosatom is in operation. The target is to commission the first SMR between 2030 and 2032.

#Rwanda #NuclearEnergy #Africa

Russia and Togo Shape Energy and Transport Agenda

As part of the Russia-Togo Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation — co-chaired by Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev and Togolese Minister of Economy and Strategic Monitoring Badanam Patoki — the parties discussed the creation of a transport corridor to West Africa and a comprehensive master plan for Togo’s water and energy resources.

In the energy sector, the development of a comprehensive master plan for Togo’s water and energy resources took center stage. The document will identify key water users, assess water balances for related economic sectors, and outline a detailed plan for constructing hydroelectric power plants and modernizing existing infrastructure. The results of this work are expected to form the basis of Togo’s national policy on water and energy resource management.

Additionally, cooperation agreements were signed between the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and the National Commission on Cultural Heritage of the Togolese Republic, as well as between the University of Lomé and both the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the A.V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis.

The water resources master plan is significant because it establishes a systemic framework for hydropower development: assessing water balances and identifying key water users allows for the interests of various sectors to be taken into account when planning the construction of hydroelectric power plants and the modernization of infrastructure.

For Russia, this opens up further opportunities to participate in hydropower and infrastructure modernization projects in Togo. The agreements between the two countries' scientific and educational institutions demonstrate that cooperation is developing not only within the framework of individual economic projects but also at the institutional level.

The dialogue will continue on the sidelines of the Third Russia–Africa Summit and the Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, to be held in Moscow on October 28–29, 2026.

#Togo #Russia #HPP

South Sudan Bets on Fulla Hydropower Plant as Foundation for Energy Sovereignty

The government of South Sudan is intensifying efforts to implement the Fulla hydroelectric power plant project on the White Nile. During a visit to the Fulla Falls in the Nimule area (Eastern Equatoria State), Minister of Energy and Dams Agok Makur Kur described the facility as a "powerful engine" for the country's economic transformation.

According to estimates by the Nile Basin Initiative, the Grand Fulla project has a potential capacity of approximately 1,080 MW, while the government projects a potential output of up to 1,800 MW for the entire cascade. The project is among 34 priority facilities approved by the Council of Ministers and is positioned as a key driver of industrial development and stable electricity supply.

In August 2024, RusHydro signed a memorandum of cooperation on hydropower with South Sudan. Discussions regarding the revival of a previously suspended agreement took place in September 2026; a meeting between Minister Agok and Russian Ambassador Alexander Kosmodemyansky focused on launching joint projects in hydropower, the oil and gas sector, and renewable energy. Russian companies are prepared to supply turbines, generators, and equipment for the Fulla plant and have proposed developing a comprehensive plan for the country's power sector development.

For South Sudan — where most consumers rely on diesel generators and electrification rates remain among the lowest in the world — prioritizing large-scale hydropower offers a way to break free from energy isolation.

However, implementation hinges less on technology than on regional dynamics. Egypt’s stance remains cautious: Cairo has stated it has no objections to the Fulla project, provided its own interests are not compromised.

#SouthSudan #Fulla #HydropowerPlant

Ethiopia Expands Energy Cooperation with Russia

Following the 18th summit in New Delhi, BRICS nations adopted a declaration outlining a course of action for reforming the global governance system and fostering cooperation in energy, trade, and artificial intelligence. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the September 12 talks as highly significant and called for the reform of international institutions.

On the sidelines of the summit, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali expressed Addis Ababa's readiness to partner with BRICS in the fields of mineral resources, energy, and AI. He also discussed expanding ties in defense, trade, and technology—as well as preparations for COP32—with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Separately, Alexey Likhachev, head of the state corporation Rosatom, reported Ethiopia's interest in the rapid development of nuclear energy. According to him, initial agreements are already in place, though several stages must be completed before construction of a nuclear power plant can begin. Ethiopia remains one of the most promising countries for the development of Russia's international cooperation in the nuclear sector.

Ethiopia is consistently strengthening its position within multilateral frameworks and offering partners access to its mineral resources. Nuclear energy is emerging as a new area of ​​Russian-Ethiopian cooperation. Participation in the BRICS energy declaration establishes a framework for the implementation of specific projects.

#Africa #Ethiopia #BRICS #Energy #Rosatom

Russian Nuclear Energy on the African Continent: Prospects for Mutual Cooperation for Decades

The Russian state corporation Rosatom is implementing a full nuclear cycle strategy in Africa, combining control over raw material production with technology exports.

On the one hand, the corporation guarantees resource security: projects in Tanzania (Mkuju River, with a target output of 3,000 tons by 2029) and production agreements in Niger (with a simultaneous proposal to build two 2 GW reactors) strengthen the vertically integrated model.

On the other hand, Russia is selling comprehensive technological sovereignty to countries that are dissatisfied with the Western approach.

The flagship El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant project in Egypt is expanding to include water desalination and nuclear medicine, transforming the relationship from a buyer-seller format to a long-term partnership.

In Ethiopia, contracts have been signed for a feasibility study for a Nuclear Technology Center and the first nuclear power plant to address the baseload generation gap.

Rwanda is focusing on small modular reactors by establishing a research center.

In Burkina Faso, Rosatom is holding consultations on advanced global regulatory standards.

The success of the strategy is ensured by a package deal (technology and loans), the absence of political barriers, and a commitment to long-term commitment. While Western companies are constrained by their own sanctions and project costs, Russia is consistently offering solutions to energy shortages in African countries, laying a solid foundation for relations for decades to come.

#Rosatom #Africa #Russia

Solar Energy in Nigeria: $200 Million in Investment

Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, continues to demonstrate a structural shift in energy policy. The announced $200 million investment in solar generation represents not so much a record amount as a qualitative change in the approach to addressing energy shortages.

Currently, approximately 60% of the country's population is connected to the centralized grid, but supply reliability remains low. Therefore, the main driver of demand is not the "green agenda" per se, but economic feasibility: decentralized solar power plants with energy storage systems allow businesses to reduce their dependence on diesel generators, the cost of which remains among the highest on the continent.

The proposed investment structure focuses on hybrid mini-grids and commercial solar power plants with capacities ranging from 1 to 10 MW. This solution appears pragmatic, as large megawatt projects in Nigeria face risks due to underdeveloped transmission networks, while local systems ensure profitability through direct contracts with industrial clusters and agro-processing plants.

The key operational risks remain currency fluctuations and end-user payment discipline. In the retail segment, this problem has long been addressed through prepayment systems and automatic disconnection when the balance is zero—an approach already proven in East African countries. For commercial clients, on the other hand, access to project financing is critical, as the cost of equipment (panels, inverters, batteries) is denominated in foreign currency and requires an initial investment. The participation of international financial institutions as guarantors and stabilization mechanisms helps partially mitigate macroeconomic fluctuations, but practical implementation in Nigeria will demonstrate the sustainability of such models in the face of high inflation and the devaluation of the naira.

Monitoring this project is interesting not as a comparison with South Africa or the Maghreb countries, where the generation structure and tariff policies are fundamentally different, but as a representative case for all of sub-Saharan Africa—with its weak grids, widespread use of diesel, and enormous unmet demand from small and medium-sized businesses. The success or failure of Nigeria's hybrid solar power plants will be an important indicator of whether distributed solar energy can become a systemic solution rather than a one-off experiment—and the answer to this question will be relevant for a dozen countries on the continent, where conditions are almost identical.

#Nigeria #Energy #SolarPowerPlants

What's missing for the implementation of large-scale Russian-African projects?

Yulia Berg, Director of the International Business Acceleration Center, spoke to Komsomolskaya Pravda about the prospects and main barriers for Russian business in Africa.

According to her, the successful implementation of large-scale joint projects, especially in the energy sector, requires synchronizing conceptual frameworks, business ethics, and business culture. She also proposed more actively opening branches of Russian universities on the continent.

At the same time, the Director of the IBAC warns:

"Africa is very diverse. Without a reliable 'guide' who understands the local realities, culture, and rules of the game, it's best not to venture there—the risks are too high."

Yulia Berg believes that now is the most favorable time for Russian business on the African continent, but it's important to work wisely and only with trusted partners.

#RussiaAfrica #BusinessINAfrica #YuliaBerg

Happy Russia Day!

Energy is the circulatory system of any economy. And Russian energy is also the foundation for the development of entire continents. From nuclear power plants in Egypt to hydroelectric power plants in Ethiopia, every project is backed by the knowledge, technology and traditions of the Russian school of engineering.

On Russia Day, we say thank those who built this school over decades. And to those who continue it today - in their native land and far beyond its borders.

Happy holiday!

The key points of the oil and gas sector were identified in Brazzaville.

Andrey Gromov, Executive Board Secretary of the African-Russian Energy Association (AREA) and founder of GR-Group, participated in a roundtable discussion in Brazzaville titled "The Oil and Gas Sector of the Republic of Congo: Results, Prospects, Challenges, and Solutions," featuring experts from various sectors of the industry.

Discussion moderator Kitsabi Zorrino Roxy Esperance opened the meeting by outlining the range of issues to be discussed:

"During the event, we discuss the challenges, solutions, and prospects of the oil and gas sector, as well as other areas that will contribute to the country's development."

During the meeting, experts, engineers, and company managers discussed the oil and gas value chain map, the practical needs of the industry, flare gas production and processing, and infrastructure constraints affecting oil and gas projects.

The roundtable resulted in the development of a list of the industry's practical needs and the most pressing challenges.

Andrey Gromov thanked the roundtable participants and noted in his speech the importance of establishing a constructive dialogue between Russia and the Congo:

"A constructive dialogue has now been established between our countries. We face challenges in resolving issues, but ultimately we resolve them by acting in accordance with mutual interests. Russia, unlike Western countries, takes into account the interests of its partners and will not only create jobs within individual projects but also promote the development of related industries directly on the ground."

As journalist Osema Elonda Grace, who covered the event, noted, the main value of the meeting was its practical nature: the discussion focused on attracting investment and the real contribution of the oil and gas sector to the country's economic growth.

#RussiaAfrica #Congo #AREA #energy

Happy Victory Day!

May 9, 1945 – a day that will forever remain the most important date in our history. Victory came at a high price: millions of lives, destroyed cities, burned factories. But it was this victory that gave the country the opportunity to move forward – to rebuild, to build, to live.

We remember those who fought at the front and worked in the rear. Their heroism is reflected in every peaceful day, in every new project, in every step Russia takes forward.

We remember and are proud!