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Ethiopia is set to break ground on a mega nuclear power plant, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced Tuesday (9 September), unveiling a sweeping $30 billion infrastructure agenda aimed at transforming the country’s energy, transport, and industrial sectors.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) — Africa’s largest hydropower project — Ahmed said the nuclear facility would match the GERD in scale and significance. With two planned reactors expected to produce 2,400 MW by 2034, the project builds on a 2017 energy cooperation agreement with Russia. The nuclear power plant would be “equal to the GERD” in its scale and significance, said Ahmed. The announcement comes as Ethiopia grapples with growing electricity demand, which is rising by 20% annually. Although 90% of its 5,000 MW installed capacity comes from hydropower, recent droughts have exposed the system’s fragility.
Alongside the nuclear plan, Ethiopia will launch construction of its first oil refinery, two natural gas plants, and Africa’s largest airport near Addis Ababa, set to handle 60 million passengers annually. The Prime Minister also pledged to build 1.5 million homes over the next six years, signaling a broader development vision. Framed as a source of African pride and self-reliance, the initiative builds on GERD’s legacy. Revenues from the dam, funded entirely by citizens, will help finance this next phase of Ethiopia’s economic renaissance.
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