OUAGADOUGOU: Burkina Faso’s government announced on Friday that it had inked an agreement with Russia for the construction of a nuclear power plant aimed at meeting the energy demands of its population, where less than a quarter currently has access to electricity.
The West African nation, which has been under military rule since a coup in September 2022, has been actively seeking to diversify its international partners and has moved closer to Russia in particular.
In a statement, the Burkina Faso government declared, “The government of Burkina Faso has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the construction of a nuclear power plant. The construction of this nuclear power plant in Burkina Faso aims to cover the energy needs of the population.”
The agreement was formalized at the Russian Energy Week in Moscow and was signed by Burkina Faso’s energy minister Simon-Pierre Boussim and Nikolay Spassky, the deputy director general of Russia’s state atomic energy agency Rosatom. This document represents the first step in peaceful nuclear energy cooperation between Russia and Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso Aims to Double Electricity Production
Burkina Faso, striving to double its electricity production by 2030, aims to resolve its energy deficit challenges. Presently, just under 23 percent of the country’s population has access to electricity, as stated by the African Development Bank in 2020.
“We plan, if we can, to build nuclear power plants by 2030, in order to solve the problem of the energy deficit,” said Boussim. “Our challenge is to double our electricity production by 2030, which will allow us to boost the industrialization of Africa.”
The country has historically imported a significant portion of its electricity from neighboring Ivory Coast and Ghana while generating some locally through hydroelectric and solar power. Burkina Faso’s decision to venture into nuclear energy is a significant step toward achieving self-sufficiency in the energy sector.
Russia’s involvement in Burkina Faso has expanded beyond energy cooperation. At a Saint Petersburg summit in July, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged free grain deliveries to six African nations, including Burkina Faso. Additionally, a Russian delegation visited Ouagadougou in early September to discuss military cooperation with the ruling junta.
