Rwanda Plans First Nuclear Power Plant By 2030

Rwanda is aiming to commission its first nuclear power plant, mainly based on Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology, by 2030, with plans to scale up nuclear generation to account for more than 60% of the country’s energy mix by 2050.

President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, disclosed this in Kigali during the recent Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa, which was attended by Rafael Mariano Grossi, alongside Samia Suluhu Hassan and Faure Gnassingbé.

The summit brought together governments, regulators, financiers, industry players, and technology partners to explore how nuclear energy can support development opportunities across Africa.

The IAEA Director-General discussed Rwanda’s ambitious nuclear power plans with President Kagame and delivered the final report of an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission.

Mr. Grossi also signed an agreement with Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure, Jimmy Gasore, to strengthen cooperation between Rwanda and the International Atomic Energy Agency on integrating nuclear energy into the country’s energy mix, including the deployment of small modular reactors.

The INIR report marks a major milestone in Rwanda’s efforts to lay the foundation for a safe, secure, and sustainable nuclear power programme.

President Kagame welcomed the delivery of the report, saying: “Rwanda is pleased to have successfully completed the IAEA’s Phase 1 Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR).

“We intend to have nuclear energy operational by the early 2030s, and this assessment confirms that we are on track. For Africa, energy is not simply a development issue; it is the foundation of industrial growth and competitiveness,” he said.

Mr. Grossi also held discussions with President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania on expanding cooperation between the IAEA and Tanzania, covering cancer care and plans to boost food security under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope and Atoms4Food flagship initiatives, as well as Tanzania’s plans to develop its power infrastructure.

African countries account for around half of all newcomer nations working with the IAEA, with 13 countries actively pursuing nuclear power programmes.

New financing opportunities for nuclear power projects on the continent are also expected after the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Bank signed an agreement in 2025 to collaborate on nuclear energy for development.

“Africa’s energy future will be built by Africans, and the IAEA is ready to continue supporting countries across the continent, from infrastructure development and capacity building to new technologies such as SMRs,” said Mr. Grossi.

“Africa’s economic transformation depends fundamentally on reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy systems,” said President Hassan during the summit.

She added that Africa’s expanding digital infrastructure, as well as growing demand in manufacturing and mining, had increased the need for stable baseload power.

“Civil nuclear power — and in particular small modular reactors and micro-reactors — are no longer a distant prospect,” said Faure Gnassingbé. “The World Bank has lifted its long-standing ban on financing nuclear power. COP meetings and financial institutions have endorsed this technology because it has evolved, and the global context has changed too. It is now up to us to change our perspective.”