As a gold sponsor of this year’s African Energy Week, Rosatom took an active part in the event, having presented its key technologies at the exhibition and organized a panel discussion on energy transition in Africa. Representatives of the nuclear corporation were speakers at several conference sessions, while TVEL (part of Rosatom) and South Africa’s AllWeld Nuclear and Industrial signed a memorandum of cooperation.
The African Energy Week, the continent’s largest industry conference, was held from November 4 till 8 in the South African capital of Cape Town. The conference was attended by over 5,000 people representing energy companies, investment firms, and government agencies from different countries.
“Rosatom’s participation in the African Energy Week 2024 emphasizes our commitment to building a sustainable energy future for Africa. We are ready to share our advanced technologies and expertise to help the countries of the continent develop safe, reliable and clean energy solutions. Together, we can ensure Africa’s prosperity and preserve the planet for future generations,” commented Vadim Titov, President of Rosatom International Network.
The visitors to Rosatom’s exhibition booth had an exciting opportunity to take a deep dive into Russian nuclear technologies. They could go on a virtual tour to the remote region of Chukotka and visit the world’s only floating nuclear power plant Akademik Lomonosov. Another virtual ‘nuclear’ route went to the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant in Russia. This journey was supported with an interactive augmented reality guide to Russian-designed nuclear stations equipped with VVER‑1200 reactors. Those wishing to take a look into the bowels of the earth played a touch screen game in which they mined uranium by in-situ leaching.
The panel discussion entitled ‘From Vision to Action: Navigating a Just Energy Transition for Africa Through Green Innovation’ was dedicated to balancing energy security against social and economic development and global decarbonization goals. The panelists talked about diversification strategies for Africa’s energy mix, integration of power generation systems with storage solutions, infrastructural challenges, and energy development pathways.
Needless to say that the discussion was centered around nuclear technology and the global experience of employing public-private partnerships in building nuclear power plants. “We are confident that nuclear technologies can play a key role in the energy transition on the continent, and we are pleased to share our experience in constructing El Dabaa NPP with other African countries. Watching this project unfold, we are all witnessing the successful application of advanced energy solutions to build a sustainable future,” said El Dabaa Project Manager Mohammed Saad Dwiddar.
It should be recalled that El Dabaa is yet the only nuclear power plant under construction in Africa. The plant will have four units with VVER‑1200 reactors. This nuclear construction project is governed by the contracts that came into effect in December 2017. In early November 2024, a molten core catcher for Unit 4 was delivered to the plant site. In October of the same year, the installation of a core catcher body started at Unit 3. A little earlier, in September, the assembly of an inner containment shell began at Unit 2. In the same month, Rosatom’s mechanical engineering division cast the ‘first steel’ for the reactor, which will be installed at Unit 4, and went on to manufacture the reactor pressure vessel for Unit 2.
“Rosatom has long been present in Africa and believes that nuclear technology is an innovative solution that can play a pivotal role in providing a reliable, clean and sustainable source of energy for the development of African countries,” commented Ryan Collier, CEO at Rosatom Central and Southern Africa.
On the sidelines of the forum, Eduard Nikitin, Director for Nuclear Decommissioning and Radioactive Waste Management at TVEL (part of Rosatom), and Mervyn Fischer, CEO of South Africa’s power engineering solutions provider AllWeld Nuclear and Industrial, signed an agreement for joint R&D and commercial activities in the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and other nuclear and radioactive facilities. The cooperation between the companies will primarily cover the development of infrastructure for radioactive waste management (processing, storage and disposal), engineering, and production of components for the necessary equipment.
“The memorandum signed with our South African partners opens up new opportunities for joint projects both in South Africa and beyond. Rosatom has tremendous expertise in nuclear decommissioning and radioactive waste management. Our experience might be relevant to any country that operates nuclear stations, uranium mining sites or research reactors,” Eduard Nikitin said.
