Zimbabwe enlists Russia for nuclear energy partnership
Energy-strapped Zimbabwe has turned to Russia for the construction of small nuclear reactors, announced Minister Edgar Moyo.
Zimbabwe, facing an electricity shortage, has decided to collaborate with Russia on building small nuclear reactors. This information was shared by Edgar Moyo, the Minister of Energy and Power Development of Zimbabwe. The country plans to boost its energy production to 4,000 megawatts by 2035, an increase from the current 2,600 megawatts.
Zimbabwe has opted for cooperation with Russia
Joseph Siegle, Director of Research at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, expressed concern about the financial and security aspects of this venture. He pointed out that Zimbabwe has excellent conditions for harnessing solar energy.
"Most economists would argue that those deals cost far more than are warranted for the benefits that they would provide to their economies and to their societies," Siegle stated, as quoted by "Voice of America." He also warned about the risk of corruption associated with such large projects.
Russia has already signed agreements for the construction of nuclear power plants with Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, and Burkina Faso. Mali is still negotiating, and Kenya has not decided on the contractor. Rwanda opted out of the Russian offer, choosing the Canadian-German company Dual Fluid Energy. Currently, the only African country producing nuclear energy is South Africa, where the Koeberg power plant, built by France, is now 40 years old. Its expansion has been entrusted to the Russian company Rosatom.
By supporting less affluent African countries, Russia aims to make them reliant on it for many years, which allows it to expand its influence on the continent and mitigate the impact of sanctions imposed by the West for the invasion of Ukraine.
