Ethiopia sets its sights on nuclear power as part of a $30 billion plan

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, on Tuesday, disclosed parts of a $30 billion infrastructure development, which includes the construction of a nuclear power plant, an oil refinery, two natural gas facilities, and an airport.

The nuclear plan dates back to an agreement both countries signed in 2017.

In February, Genet Teshome Jirru, Ethiopia’s ambassador to Russia, revisited the subject during an interview, noting that both countries are looking to bolster their energy cooperation as they continue to explore the potential of a nuclear deal.

The East African country intends to have two units operating between 2032 and 2034, each with a capacity of about 1200 MW.

“Preparatory work for the construction of a nuclear power plant is already underway, the nuclear power plant to operate exclusively for peaceful purposes,” the Prime Minister stated during the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

In terms of scale, the nuclear power plant would be “equal to the GERD,” according to the Ethiopian leader.

At full capacity, the GERD, which is 1.8 kilometers (just over one mile) broad and 145 meters (475 feet) high, can hold up to 74 billion cubic meters of water and generate more than 5,000 megawatts of power, more than tripling Ethiopia’s current capacity.

Ethiopia currently boasts approximately 5GW of installed capacity to serve a population of over 120 million, whose demand for electricity is increasing by roughly 20% annually.

According to the official Website of the International Trade Administration, around 90% of Ethiopia’s installed generation capacity is from hydropower, while 10% is from wind and thermal sources (8% and 2%, respectively).

“Ethiopia has abundant renewable energy resources and has the potential to generate over 60,000 megawatts (MW) of electric power from hydroelectric, wind, solar, and geothermal sources,” the International Trade Administration stated.

However, “Ethiopia’s current 5,200 MW of installed generation capacity reaches less than 60% of the country’s population,” the International Trade Administration revealed.

As mentioned earlier, the Ethiopian Prime Minister spoke about the construction of a new airport for Africa’s largest airline.

The airport is set to have a capacity of 60 million passengers annually.

This initiative is consistent with the government’s plan to expand the capacity of its flag carrier.

In August, the African Development Bank (AfDB) committed to offering up to $500 million to help finance Ethiopia’s new airport, which would be Africa’s largest once completed.

Ethiopian Airlines signed a design agreement for the four-runway complex, which will be built at Bishoftu, some 45 kilometers (28 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa.

Outside of the nuclear project and the airport expansion plan, the Ethiopian Prime Minister also stated during the inauguration of the GERD that the construction of the country’s first gas facility is planned for the coming weeks.

A second gas plant that is more than ten times larger will start construction within the same time frame.

Finally, he spoke about the establishment of an oil refinery as part of the $30 billion infrastructure development initiative.