Ethiopia's Nuclear Ambition: Balancing Russian Support & European Standards

Ethiopia said earlier this week it aims to build its first nuclear power plant by 2036. Success will depend on Addis Ababa’s ability to secure key technology and regulatory partnerships in a civil nuclear sector dominated by a handful of major players, including Russia. Ethiopia’s civil nuclear programme is becoming a tool for diplomatic leverage, not just a bid to strengthen energy security. The country says it aims to bring its first nuclear power plant online by 2036, a plan backed by closer cooperation with several foreign partners, led by Russia. “Although developing nuclear technology usually takes between 10 and 15 years, Ethiopia plans to commission a plant in less than 10 years based on current progress,” said Abdulrezak Omar, deputy commissioner of the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission (ENEC). The government set up the ENEC in October 2025 to coordinate national efforts on nuclear technology for electricity generation and industrial development. The agency was created shortly after Ethiopia signed an agreement with Russia about a month earlier on planning and building a nuclear power plant. The two countries agreed to work together on technical details and the project’s financing structure, as well as training the staff expected to operate the future facility. Rosatom talks in Moscow Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear group, is supporting Addis Ababa’s plans. In December 2025, an Ethiopian delegation led by ENEC chief commissioner Sandokan Debebe travelled to Moscow for further talks with Rosatom executives. Details were not disclosed. “Rosatom is ready to share its most advanced technologies, support workforce training and help build the necessary infrastructure,” said Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom’s director general. He said it was an honour to take part in a project he described as key to Ethiopia’s long-term energy future and that of the wider region. Other partnerships in the works Ethiopia is not the first African country to turn to Rosatom to develop a civil nuclear programme. Egypt is currently the only country on the continent where the Russian group is building reactors. Other countries, including Niger, Mali and Uganda, have signed agreements with Rosatom to study or prepare civil nuclear projects, but these efforts remain at an early stage. Ethiopia says it does not want to rely on a single partner. In early 2026, Debebe held a working session with European, French and Finnish diplomats based in Ethiopia. He said the participants agreed to explore cooperation on regulatory frameworks, nuclear waste management and human resources development. Emiliano Tossou