Russia and Rwanda have agreed a roadmap to advance cooperation on small modular reactors (SMRs) and civilian nuclear energy, marking the latest step in Kigali's ambition to introduce nuclear power into its energy mix in the early 2030s.

The roadmap was signed during the inaugural meeting of the Joint Coordinating Committee on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, held in Moscow and co-chaired by Rosatom, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy corporation, and the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board.

Rosatom Deputy Director General Kirill Komarov said in a statement the partnership was moving beyond broad cooperation agreements towards practical implementation.

"We are moving from framework agreements to joint work on concrete tracks: from training national personnel and developing nuclear infrastructure to projects in nuclear science and small modular reactors. Rwanda is building its nuclear programme consistently and responsibly, and Rosatom is ready to be a reliable partner for the country at every stage of this journey," he said.

Russia and Rwanda signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in 2018 before establishing a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST) in 2019, including a planned 10MW research reactor and laboratories for research, training, medical isotope production and industrial applications. The centre is intended to support cancer treatment, agricultural research, industrial applications and the development of the expertise needed for future nuclear power projects.

In September 2025, Rwanda hosted the first Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (NEISA) under the theme "The Potential of Small Modular and Micro Reactors in Accelerating Africa's Energy Transition". According to Duggan Flanakin, a senior policy analyst at the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, a US advocacy organisation, Rwanda has emerged as one of the continent's strongest supporters of nuclear energy.

Rwanda's interest in nuclear energy has risen alongside electricity demand driven by rapid economic growth and industrialisation. Installed electricity generation capacity has increased to more than 430MW, but the government aims to expand electricity access to 100% of households by 2030, up from about 72% today. Rwanda currently relies primarily on hydropower, methane gas extracted from Lake Kivu, thermal generation and solar power, with nuclear energy viewed as a longer-term source of reliable low-carbon baseload electricity.

The country is working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to develop the regulatory, legal and technical framework required before introducing nuclear power. At the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels in March, President Paul Kagame reiterated plans to bring Rwanda's first SMR into operation in the early 2030s, arguing that advances in reactor technology have made nuclear power more suitable for countries with relatively small electricity grids.

Speaking of the newly agreed roadmap, Rwanda Atomic Energy Board chairman and presidential adviser Lassina Zerbo said it builds on bilateral cooperation launched in 2018 and supports the country's long-term energy strategy.

"The roadmap agreed upon today is building on the bilateral cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy initiated in 2018. Our priority is to include nuclear power within our energy mix by early 2030s to address the growing energy demand in Rwanda," said Zerbo, a former executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).

"Implementing a nuclear energy programme is first and foremost an investment in people, in science and in the country's long-term development. The Joint Coordinating Committee allows us to move to substantive work across every track of our programme."

Rwanda is also diversifying its nuclear partnerships. Earlier this year, Holtec International, the US nuclear engineering company, signed a development agreement with the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board to assess the potential deployment of up to 5GW of SMR-300 capacity, highlighting Kigali's strategy of engaging multiple international technology providers rather than relying on a single supplier.

Financing remains one of the biggest challenges facing nuclear projects across Africa, with governments seeking support from export credit agencies, development finance institutions and strategic technology partners. Conventional nuclear power plants typically require investments of several billion US dollars, while SMRs are designed to reduce upfront capital requirements through modular construction and phased deployment.

SMRs are attracting growing interest across Africa because they require less upfront capital than conventional reactors, can be deployed incrementally and are better suited to countries with smaller electricity systems.

Rosatom has signed civilian nuclear cooperation agreements with more than 20 African countries as Russia seeks to expand its long-term strategic presence on the continent through nuclear technology, fuel supply, training and infrastructure partnerships.

At least 10 African countries, including Ghana and Kenya, are now actively exploring nuclear energy, with the continent aiming to develop around 15GW of nuclear capacity by the mid-2030s, according to Flanakin.

Leaders from Tanzania, Niger and Togo have also expressed support for an SMR-driven future. Tanzania, which has significant uranium reserves, signed an agreement with Rosatom last year to develop a $400mn uranium processing plant as part of a 20-year, $1.2bn programme. Ghana plans to commission its first nuclear plant in the early 2030s, while Uganda is pursuing its own programme with international partners.

Elsewhere on the continent, Egypt expects the first reactor at the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant to begin operating in 2028, with total capacity eventually reaching 4.8GW. Under agreements signed in 2017, Rosatom is constructing the plant, supplying nuclear fuel, developing spent-fuel storage facilities and supporting operations and maintenance during the station's first decade.

Until El Dabba comes online, South Africa remains Africa's only commercial nuclear power producer through the 1,860MW Koeberg nuclear power plant (NPP) near Cape Town.

The Koeberg NPP began operations in 1984. In 2024, the National Nuclear Regulator granted a Long-Term Operation licence for Koeberg Unit 1, extending its life by 20 years. South Africa aims to add 2,500 MW of new nuclear capacity, including SMRs, after 2030. Its well-established nuclear supply chain is often highlighted as a potential model for other African countries.