Russia, under sanctions from the West over the war in Ukraine, is using nuclear partnerships to grow its influence in Africa.

What: Russia has reportedly signed nuclear energy deals with at least 20 African countries.

Why: Nuclear projects are large-scale, long-term commitments that can tie a country to Russia for decades, says nuclear scientist.

What next: Russia continues to spread its influence in Africa through nuclear technology offerings and energy infrastructure projects with favourable contracts and repayment terms.

Russia is now the leading country supplying nuclear technology to Africa, ahead of the US, China, South Korea, Canada, and France. Through its state-owned corporation Rosatom, Russia has signed nuclear energy deals with at least 20 African countries, offering attractive contract terms.

Rosatom offers a strong track record of completed global projects with favourable contracts and repayment terms. It is also unlikely to slow down now as US President Trump cuts funding to energy projects, according to a recent analysis by Nick Ferris, The Independent’s London-based climate correspondent.

Recent Rosatom agreements in Africa include a deal with Burkina Faso to build a nuclear plant, a June 2024 agreement with Guinea to develop floating nuclear power plants, and a partnership with the Republic of Congo for nuclear and hydroelectric power. Since 2014, Russia has also made deals with African countries Algeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and Tunisia, among others.

Other countries on the continent exploring Russian nuclear partnerships include Niger, which is encouraging Russian investment in its uranium resources, and Namibia, which reportedly held talks with Russia on nuclear cooperation in April.

“These agreements are geopolitically significant because nuclear projects are large-scale, long-term commitments that can tie a country to Russia for decades. For Moscow, this is not just about business – it’s also a tool of political influence,” says Dmitry Gorchakov, a nuclear expert who left Russia in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine to work for the Bellona Foundation, an environmental NGO in Lithuania.

“In the context of Russia’s confrontation with the West, showing that it still has international partners is politically important, which is why it is willing to promise a lot to countries that are open to working with it.”

US withdrawal

While Russia expands its influence in Africa through nuclear technology offerings and energy infrastructure projects, the US is pulling back its support under Trump’s aid cuts and undercutting trade through his tariffs. Programmes like Power Africa, launched by Barack Obama in 2013, are being terminated.

Over 12 years, Power Africa invested $1.2bn, unlocking a further $29bn to develop over 150 power projects in 42 countries and bringing electricity to more than 200mn people. It also supported US firms in $26.4bn worth of deals. Furthermore, the US has withdrawn from the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), affecting countries like South Africa, which lost significant grant and investment commitments.

“Without such programmes, it will be even harder for the US not just to compete [in Africa] but even to gain a foothold there,” Gorchakov states. “That’s why they have to put in a lot of effort – and without government-backed support programmes, entering these markets will be nearly impossible.”

Largest project in Africa

Russia’s most significant nuclear project in Africa is the $28.75bn El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Egypt. This will be the continent’s second nuclear power station, arriving nearly 40 years after South Africa’s Koeberg NPP. Construction began in 2020, and the plant is expected to start generating electricity by 2026. With a capacity of 4.8 GW, it will produce enough power for a major US city, says The Independent’s report. Russia is financing 85% of the project, offering generous repayment terms.

According to Gorchakov, Russia’s nuclear deals are attractive to African countries as they are backed by the Russian state. Russia takes on much of the financial and operational burden, offering long-term repayment plans. However, this also ties recipient countries to Russia’s nuclear fuel and service supply chains, he points out.

Western nuclear companies like France’s EDF cannot match this state-backed support and risk-sharing. They operate commercially and often struggle with delays and cost overruns. For instance, EDF’s Hinkley Point project in the UK has nearly doubled in cost from £18bn ($24bn) to £35bn ($47bn). A similar US project in South Carolina was abandoned in 2017 after spending $9bn.

“Political and regulatory constraints also tend to make Western nuclear exports slower, more bureaucratic, and harder to coordinate,” says Gorchakov. He also notes that Western companies rarely provide a full service, unlike Rosatom, which offers technology, fuel, training, waste management, and maintenance under one roof.

While China offers more comprehensive support, it has limited experience, with just one completed project in Pakistan. “In contrast, Rosatom has a much larger active portfolio of ongoing and completed international projects, which allows it to present itself as a more reliable and proven partner in the eyes of many potential customers,” Gorchakov explains.

According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), Rosatom is currently building 26 major nuclear power units across seven countries, including Egypt, India, Iran and Turkey. “They can essentially take a cookie-cutter approach,” WNA’s Jonathan Cobb says, noting that Egypt’s four reactors follow proven Rosatom designs.

Political tool

For the African continent, where around 600mn people still lack reliable electricity, nuclear power offers the promise of large-scale, low-carbon and dependable energy. Unlike solar and wind, which are variable, or coal and gas, which are polluting, nuclear plants can deliver consistent electricity. Ghana is among the countries planning to add nuclear to its energy mix, alongside renewables.

“If we want base-load energy to support our renewable ambitions, then we have to continue aggressively on our nuclear power programme,” says Robert Sogbadji, who coordinates Ghana’s national nuclear power programme. The country hopes to complete its first large-scale nuclear plant by the mid-2030s. While it has chosen the US to provide small modular reactors (SMRs), Ghana is still deciding on a technology partner for its first large NPP – with Russia as one of the contenders.

However, nuclear power remains controversial. Some worry about nuclear waste storage and the risks of relying on large, centralised plants, which may be more vulnerable to cyber-attacks or extreme weather.

Mike Hogan from the Regulatory Assistance Project, an American think tank, expressed concern about the number of African countries planning to build large nuclear plants. He pointed out that the electricity industry had long been shifting towards smaller, decentralised power sources, which make energy systems more resilient. “These big signature infrastructure projects make people in power feel like they're doing something important, but it’s really a 20th Century solution to a 21st Century problem,” Hogan told The Independent.

Russia, under sanctions from the West over the war in Ukraine, is using nuclear partnerships to grow its influence in Africa. In 2023, 49 of Africa’s 54 countries attended the Russia–Africa economic summit in St Petersburg. According to Gorchakov, many nuclear agreements between Russia and African countries are preliminary in nature and represent just the first step in a long and complex process, but they serve a symbolic purpose for Russia. “For Moscow, the deals are not just about business: It is a tool of political influence,” he says.