International nuclear organisation the World Nuclear Association (WNA) and the African Energy Chamber have signed a memorandum of understanding to drive nuclear energy adoption in Africa.

This partnership includes collaborating for African Energy Week.

The collaboration is said to reflect the shared commitment of both organisations to promoting clean, affordable and reliable nuclear energy as a crucial component of Africa’s energy mix, to support economic growth, a just transition and sustainable energy development.

As part of this partnership, the WNA will be a leading participant in the upcoming African Energy Week 2023, which will be held in Cape Town from October 16 to 20.

Nuclear energy is posited to have considerable potential to support sustainable growth and development in Africa's energy landscape.

Currently, South Africa relies on two nuclear reactors, which contribute about 5% of its electricity generation. The government has shown commitment to nuclear energy, with plans announced in 2019 to build 1 GW of new nuclear capacity by 2030 and extend the lifespan of existing plants, the organisations point out.

They add that Egypt has recently taken significant steps, starting the construction of a nuclear power plant in El Dabaa with four large reactors. This plant aims to generate electricity while also providing considerable desalination capacity.

Meanwhile, other African countries, including Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia and Rwanda are exploring the deployment of nuclear energy as part of their strategies to meet urgent energy demand.

The partnership will bring African leaders and nuclear industry stakeholders together at African Energy Week to advance nuclear energy development.

Africa Energy Week is expected to serve as a valuable opportunity for knowledge sharing and networking, fostering exchanges between global nuclear industry and African countries, ultimately driving collaboration and progress in the  field of nuclear energy.