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Technological Sovereignty: Russia's Rosatom Proposes Plans for Civil Nuclear Power in Africa

Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) is encouraging African countries to become technologically sovereign, the group's CEO said. The importance of this sovereignty is underscored by the current pressure on Russia.
At a time when Russia is being hit with all kinds of Western sanctions targeting its various economic sectors, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev spoke about the scope of technological sovereignty , several projects of which have been proposed to African countries.
"We are proposing technological sovereignty projects, which include a whole range of skills, from training specialists to establishing companies on the territory of the African continent, and involving our African partners in the technological networks we are creating in Russia or other friendly countries," he said during a televised interview with Russian media.
In his view, the pressure on Russia and Rosatom strengthens rather than weakens their business. Russia's example illustrates to many countries the importance of technological sovereignty and the need to seek partners who will not sacrifice other countries' interests for political ambitions.
"We should thank our 'malicious' partners for allowing us to move faster, to grow even faster," Likhatchev said.
Suggested Range of Power Plants
He added that many African countries show great interest and potential in civilian nuclear power. Rosatom offers them various solutions, and not only large-scale plants, but also smaller models for countries without a developed energy system, or floating plants for countries with extensive coastlines.
During his visit to the construction site of the El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in Egypt on Tuesday, July 18, Likhatchev announced that Rosatom expects to receive approval to build the plant's fourth reactor by the end of 2023.
El-Dabaa, Rosatom's first major project in Africa, is the first Egyptian nuclear power plant to be built by the Russian company on the Mediterranean coast, some 300 kilometers northwest of the capital, Cairo.