Representatives of the Russian state nuclear power firm Rosatom are visiting Burkina Faso to discuss the construction of a nuclear power plant in one of the world’s least electrified countries. The Rosatom team arrived in the West African nation on Tuesday and held talks with officials from the Burkinabe Energy Ministry, as reported by local media.

Discussions and objectives

During the four-day visit, Energy Minister Yacouba Zabré Gouba emphasized the importance of the discussions, focusing on technical issues and establishing conditions for the project’s commencement. “The nuclear power plant is essential for us because we believe that energy is a lever on which the country can acquire its real sovereignty in energy matters”, Gouba stated, according to the African Initiative news website.

Current energy situation

As of 2022, only 19.5% of Burkina Faso’s population had access to electricity, according to the World Bank. With a population of over 20 million, the landlocked country has a power generation capacity of 420 megawatts, predominantly from fossil fuels.

Agreement and expectations

Last October, Burkina Faso signed an agreement with Rosatom to build a nuclear power plant following a request by its interim leader, Ibrahim Traore, to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the second Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg. On August 6, Energy Minister Gouba expressed the Burkinabe government’s optimism about the Rosatom team’s visit, which is seen as crucial for addressing the country’s energy challenges.

Rosatom’s chief engineer Alexander Renev commented, “We cannot give an exact date for the completion of this plant, but we will do everything to deliver the plant as soon as possible”.

Regional Projects by Rosatom

The project in Burkina Faso is not Rosatom’s first in the Sahel region. In May, Mali’s Energy Ministry announced the construction of a 200-megawatt solar power plant near the capital, Bamako, by NovaWind, Rosatom’s wind energy division. NovaWind’s director, Grigory Nazarov, stated that the facility, costing US$217 million, will boost Mali’s electricity production by 10 percent.

NovaWind’s Solar Power Plant in Mali

The wind energy division of Russia’s energy giant Rosatom, NovaWind, has begun constructing a 200-megawatt solar power plant in Mali, according to Energy and Water Resources Minister Bintu Kamara. The facility, spanning 314 hectares in Sanankoroba near Bamako, is the largest in the West African subregion and aims to significantly reduce the country’s electricity shortage.

Currently, 70 percent of Mali’s electricity is produced from thermal plants. World Bank data indicates that approximately half of Mali’s 21.9 million people have access to electricity. The Malian government aims to increase this to 90 percent by 2036, with 100 percent urban access and 55 percent rural access.

During the agreement signing in March, Malian Minister of Economy Alousseni Sano noted the high costs of relying on thermal power, which has strained the country’s finances. NovaWind’s director Grigory Nazarov confirmed that the solar plant, costing €200 million (US$217 million), will increase the nation’s electricity production by 10 percent. The construction is expected to take a year, with the plant operating for two decades and transitioning to full control of Mali’s Ministry of Energy ten years after its inauguration.

Strategic partnerships and future developments

Local media report that the Malian government views the collaboration with Russia on the solar project as a significant step towards diversifying its energy mix and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Mali’s military government has praised Russia as a “strategic and sincere partner” after severing ties with its former colonizer, France, last year.

In October, Bamako signed an agreement with Moscow to develop civil nuclear power. In March, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Algeria signed several agreements with Rosatom for developing nuclear energy cooperation at the 13th international ATOMEXPO exhibition and forum in Sochi.

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